Pokemon Black and White: Excelsior!
by Trainer Naps
Summary: Now a full fledged Pokemon Trainer, William Grey sets of in hopes of becoming Champion of the Unova League. But as he sets off on this new adventure, rivals, Pokémon, Gym Leaders, hot headed connaiseusses, disobedient Oshawotts, Team Plasma and the enigmatic N will be the least of his worries.
1. Prologue

_**If you had the power to change everything, in an instant...would you?**_

* * *

_**Prologue**_

* * *

**Viridian City, Grey Household**

* * *

In steady sheets, the pouring rain crashed down onto the dormant Viridian City household. Dark. Heavy. Unrelenting. Just as it had been that morning through the afternoon, and eventually the evening.

The house's inhabitants had all but grown used to the rhythmic pattern of the rain that day, and had since become rather accustomed to it. It could even be said that the presence of the sky bearing down on their house comforted them and lulled them into an easy sleep. As such, it was not the rain that called one member of the Grey family to a rough and rude awakening.

Cassius Grey, patriarch of the household, sat like a heavy stone statue at his kitchen table, with nothing more than a small lamp resting upon a nearby countertop to provide him with the light his tired eyes needed to see the papers spread before him. The sheer amount of documents spread before him might have made a passerby assume he was extremely busy at the moment, had he been at work. But despite the gravity his surroundings seemed to install upon him, Cassius was paying significantly more attention to the cup of coffee at the corner of his place-mat.

Resting within a yellow mug faded with age, his milky brown drink had long since ceased giving off the wispy strands of steam indicating that it was hot, the way he liked it. Now the coffee was cold and losing its sweetness. And so with hands folded, Cassius remained staring at the mug in his perpetual state of unmoving.

He simply could not make up his mind.

Rubbing his pale forehead with the tips of his fingers, Cassius gripped with his other hand a jet-black ballpoint pen and tapped the tip thoughtfully on one of the papers. Resting next to an empty and yet unused envelope, every blank point on the letter had been filled in with the neat and nondescript handwriting of Cassius Grey. Every box had been checked, every note noted and every space filled. Except for one.

The line that Cassius pondered so fervorously was that on which a signature would go. All that remained was his name.

Cassius stroked his prickling graying goatee with no particular thoughtful intent. For a man in his mid-forties, a small peppering of steely grey and white in his hair was not unusual. But Cassius himself found the strains of life nowadays more than most men could handle, adding the occasional white speck to his hair. Of course he had persevered, but the choices he was being brought, no, _told _to make were beginning to eat away at him.

Just as the empty line did. It mocked him with just its emptiness. Goaded him into thinking that with his signature, the paper would be filled and so would the empty feeling within him. Cassius shook his head and cleared away the contradicting thoughts.

Then he stole himself and lifted his shoulders, preparing to sign the letter.

"Dad, why are you up?"

Cassius' head did not jerk in surprise like most would at the sudden sounding of the smooth yet tender young voice. Instead he turned slowly and in a fatherly manner, his movements telling his only son that he was busy before the words left his mouth.

Standing in the dim light of the kitchen lamp was William, his ten-year-old son. His fair brown hair was slightly tousled from rubbing against a pillow, attributed to uneasy sleep, Cassius guessed. The slender frown on his face may have also tipped him off of this, though Cassius knew from years of parenting the young child that curiosity was the first of William's prior convictions, even before joy or happiness. Even in his tender age, William required a reason to smile before he actually would.

"I'm very busy, son," lied Cassius, his face betraying no falsehoods that would evade someone much wiser than a ten-year-old, "Why don't you go back to bed?"

Will hugged his Pokémon closer to his chest. The amorphous green blob seemed asleep within its gel-like shell, undisturbed by its unofficial Trainer's late night upping. It had been a gift from Cassius himself when Will was only six years old and had proved a constant and unyielding companion to him for their entire relationship. To Cassius' knowledge in fact, it was Will's only friend.

"I got up to get a drink," said Will, rubbing a sleepy eye. "I woke up and my mouth was dry."

Cassius nodded. "You know where the glasses are. Get a drink from the faucet and then off to bed with you."

Nodding, William retreated slowly to the low hanging cupboard next to the kitchen sink. While slinking away he seemed to eye down Cassius' papers skeptically. His electric blue eyes would not be satisfied with anything less than the knowledge they hungered for. They never did.

Cassius grossly underestimated his son's attention to detail when it came to these things; he normally did his paperwork in the morning while watching the local news on television, and Will knew this. He was far more attentive than one would guess from his normally spirited demeanor.

Cassius' suspicions of his son's uncertainties were all but confirmed as Will took his time downing the glass of water, which he had only filled to half capacity in the first place. With his Pokémon tucked under one arm like a basketball, Will constantly sent skeptical glances at the papers placed before Cassius as he tried to figure up what was so important as to keep his father up that late. Will was curious, but he was anything but subtle in this regard.

Will finished his glass of water and placed it upside-down in the sink to be washed the next morning. He hesitated for a moment trying to think of another excuse to linger but a knowing and stern glare from Cassius reminded him that he should be on his way.

"Goodnight, Dad," said Will, heading down the hallway towards his room, "I'll see you in the morning."

Cassius acknowledged him with a nod and almost responded directly to Will's hopeful statement. Though the way he had phrased it almost made it sound like a question.

Either way, Cassius felt it best not to lie to the boy.

Without any further tension of mind or muscle, Cassius set his pen down on the dotted line and signed his name.

* * *

**Unova, Pinwheel Forest**

* * *

Little did Will or Cassius or anyone of the prior party know that hallway around the world, rain poured down as another young boy's relationship with his father was changed forevermore. Only this unfortunate youth was being treated to the polar opposite.

It was no surprise to him, the presence that crept through the forest. His friends had told him it was coming hours earlier. It was the thing that his friends called a "human."

Even without warning from any of his friends, the boy could have easily detected the human on his own, albeit long after his friends would have. Humans made horrible crashing and crunching noises when they moved their feet, especially when they were walking through the forest. Humans knocked aside branches and stepped on twigs with their heavy feet and their leather boots without even an outward thought that one of the forest Pokémon might be using the branch they snapped or the mushroom they stepped on for bedding or for food. According to his friends, humans only cared about themselves.

Except he had been told that this human had been coming for him.

And so the boy found himself huddled up under the mossy log deep within the forest, his back leaned up against the moist river bank in which the log, which had once been a mighty tree, had toppled after intense rainfall had cleared away the soil beneath its roots and gravity took care of the rest.

This was where the boy slept on nights when the weather was unpleasant like tonight. On warm nights when the stars shone bright in the sky and the wind whistled through the trees, he would lie out in the open and fall asleep with his friends by his side as they gazed up at the spectacular ceiling of the night sky.

But those nights were about to come to an end for a very long time.

The squishing sound of a heavy foot sinking into the mud alerted him to a very close by presence. A very close by _human _presence. No foot or paw or talon he knew of from this forest made that sound.

His bare heels dug into the soggy soil as he pulled his legs tight to his body, his chin resting in between his knees. Normally, he was never afraid of humans visiting the forest. He'd hide and watch from a safe distance when the humans came. No human had ever discovered his hiding spot. And in the event that he was discovered (which had never happened before) he'd always have his friends to protect him.

But at this moment, he was the protector. His three best friends sat cuddled up with him under the log, and he was their best hope to protect against the human, had he come to do bad things.

The boy knew that humans loved and cared for the Pokémon that lived in their cities and towns. And those cities and towns had marvelous towers and buildings that the humans made. Sometimes when the boy sat high up enough in a tall tree in the forest, he could see what some of his friends told him that the humans called "skyscrapers." They were tall square towers, some with points on the top. And at night they twinkled and sparkled with so many different colors of light, as if the humans had adorned them with stars.

_Truly_, he would think, _if humans made such pretty things, how could they be bad?_

The only negative connotation of any human wrongdoing the boy had ever witnessed was with the round objects that flashed with light and made Pokémon disappear. Humans carried those through the woods with them frequently and used them on Pokémon, some of them his friends.

He knew not what happened to them or where they went, but the boy never saw any of them ever again.

No matter what they did though, the boy was not going to let his friends get taken. Darmanitan didn't like the rain so much so that it hurt him and so he was curled up in his dormant form, remaining motionless and stone solid. Woobat was curled up next to him with her wings folded and her stubby nose poking into his side. And Zorua rested on his lap, now squished against the boy's chest, her soft fur tickling his face and helping to keep him warm.

But no one was here to protect him this time. The boy would stand up for himself.

The boy heard another squish, this one much closer. He had a very acute sense of smell, rainfall only served to kick up a new pallet of smells to mask whatever crept towards him on heavy feet. Therefore, he could not tell that the human was right upon him.

A white hand with five fingers like his gripped the inside of the log and the boy gasped, surprised by the human's sudden appearance. Instead of moving the log off of the boy like he had expected, the human dropped down onto on knee and looked him in the eye.

Like his friends did. Like an equal.

The human removed the black rubber hood that protected his head from the rain and simply let it fall down onto his head as he smiled at the boy. His teeth were as white as pearls and his hair, now beginning to become slick from the rain, was the same tea green shade as his.

"Hello there," he said in a deep, powerful voice that made the boy shudder. The voice contained such force, like a living echo, yet was concentrated in such a manner that was soft, softer than Zorua's fur. He had seen many a time Pokémon listening to the humans telling them to do things and then doing them.

He now understood why humans were listened to. Their voices were their power.

"H-hi…" the boy nervously mumbled, using the greeting phrase he had heard humans using on each other before. Hiding his head in his legs so that his eyes barely peeked above his knees, he scooched as far back against the riverbank's wall as was permitted by the tight space, bringing Woobat and Zorua back with him, tightly in his grasp.

The human laughed lightly, another one of his perplexing noises. "I'm not going to hurt you or your friends."

"F-friends?"

The boy did not know a lot about the human language, but that was another word that he had heard from the humans before as well. The fact that humans knew what friends were, or just the fact that _this _one did, made him want to listen even more.

"Yes," affirmed the human, "Friends. I know they mean a lot to you. And I know that humans do a lot of nasty things to your friends. But I haven't come for them, little one. I'm not like the rest."

Many of the words were unfamiliar, but the gist of what the human was saying was coming across. The boy had a knack for figuring things out quickly, so it seemed. The puzzle cube tied around his neck, the source of which was unknown to him, did not take more than a few minutes on his first try at twisting its rotatable segments into matching positions.

But he knew that humans only came into the forest for two reasons: to pass into the city rested on the other side of the forest or to take Pokémon in their magic spheres. The only reason why a human would stray so far from the path was to participate in the latter.

The man must have noticed the boy's confusion, for he smiled again and rested his hands on his knee. "No, I'm not a Pokémon Trainer," promised the stranger, who then explained what the term meant. "They're the people who take your friends in those accursed red and white spheres. But that is not why I have come. I've come to take you with me."

Again, he was confused. The boy knew he was not a Pokémon; his life in the forest had made that strikingly obvious. But he wasn't human either. He looked like them, yes, but humans couldn't do the things he could do. His friends said he was different and he knew he was different.

So if the human didn't want to put him in a magic sphere, what did he want?

Thinking over the structure of the human's sentence and analyzed it, selecting a phrase that had conjunctively linked his thoughts together and used it for questioning purposes. "W-why?" he stammered, the new feeling of human words making his tongue tingle.

"You're a curious little fellow, aren't you?" chortled the human. "You've lived so long in this forest that you might have your reservations at first, but I'm glad you've gone through what you have. It will help prepare you for the future."

He didn't have to guess this time to know that the human would assess the confusion on his face. Slowly, the human moved one of his big hands towards the boy. Not fast like a strike and not slow like a trick. This gesture meant something to the human.

"I want you to come with me," he repeated, his hand remaining, "I'm your father, you see. I've been looking for you for a very long time."

The foreign hand and the foreign words made little sense to the boy. He understood what the human said but had trouble grasping what the words and the hand meant. Both where important, he knew. And so he slowly reached out a hand to meet the human's.

Pleased, the human smiled. "That's it. Take my hand, son. We're going to do great things together."

His hand seemed magnetically attracted to the humans. _Great things…_

"Great things," the boy repeated, "Like skyscrapers?"

The human grinned. But this grin was different from his honest and happy expressions prior. This one had a layer to it. It was covering something up and the boy didn't like it.

"Yes. Yes, my son, you and I are going to be like skyscrapers. With the two of us combined, we can move ever upward. We can pierce the heavens."

And so, because of one signature and one handshake, the world would change forever.

* * *

**Hey hey, everyone! It's Trainer Naps here with another Pokemon fanfic, starring my main Pokemon OC, William Grey, along with a new host of Pokemon and a mix of characters old and new. Before moving on to anything else, let me just thank you for reading the chapter and I hope you enjoyed it!**

**I've always entertained the idea of writing a fic taking place in the Pokemon Black and White sphere, and now that I've finally gotten around to it, I hope ya'll enjoy! I've decided to update this only once a week on Friday so that I both ensure that I'm not overwhelmed and that you guys get a quality chapter. As such, the chapters will gradually get longer, but my policy is quality over quantity, so I can't promise 7k chapters every time around. Sound good? Hope it does :D**

**Just to clarify: this story is AU from any of my other stories. You may see OCs from my past fics make an appearance alongside new ones, but keep in mind that the stories remain separate. Just wanted to dispel any potential confusion.**

**So, tune in next week where we jump ahead five years and meet our dashing young hero, a certain William H. Grey. Review and fav if you liked what you read and you want to see more, and I'll see you next time!**


	2. Nuvema, New Faces, New Beginnings!

**Chapter 1: Nuvema, New Faces, New Beginnings!**

* * *

**Unova, Route 1**

* * *

The weathered old minivan hit yet another bump as it shot steadily down the dirt road. The car's tires remained inflexibly spinning on the ground and the bump had not been substantial enough to offset any of the vehicle's passengers. The five year old girl resting in her car seat continued to sleep, the long trip from her hometown in Icirrus City having beaten her in the contest to remain awake for the duration. The hands of the middle aged woman driving the vehicle remained firmly on the ten and two o'clock positions of the steering wheel, an optimistic smile plastered to her face. And the skinny sixteenyear old boy in the back seat maintained his gloomy stare out the window, staring aimlessly at the dark and foreboding trees flanking him and fencing him in as the car made its way down Route 1.

She knew that on a back road such as Route 1 that traffic would not be a problem, but Rosaline Grey could not help but send the customary flicker of the eyes up to her rearview mirror and notice her son's dejection. Her smile increasing in scale as to warm her son, she twisted the mirror so that she could have a better look at the boy while she drove.

"Getting tired of the car?" she asked probingly to her son.

For almost eight hours they had been driving without stop. Rosaline wouldn't blame her son for being a bit sore in that case, both physically and mentally. But she knew in her hear how that wasn't the true case.

"Nah, I'm fine," he replied blandly, not taking his eyes off of the blur of green that was the forest in motion. Normally a person fixated on nothing at all like he was would have a blank mind, but Rosaline could tell that the gears in his were busily turning from the way that his finger drew invisible circles upon the inside of the car door. Rosaline knew her son well and was quite aware of what troubled him.

"What troubled him" had arrived at their doorstep only four days ago in the form of a letter bearing a Sinnohan return address and the wax seal of the prestigious Eterna Academy. Four days ago, William had optimistically shred the letter open to find that his application to the academy had surprisingly and unfortunately been denied.

His lifelong dream of pursuing a higher education at the university would not be coming true.

This wasn't the first time that the Grey family had fallen on hard times with poor William taking the brunt of it all. He had been crushed by his father's sudden disappearance at only the age of ten, shocking him into a state of depression that kept him from the Pokémon journey he had planned on beginning soon at the time.

Rosaline knew that both events had stung him more than anything life had yet thrown into his young life, but she knew also that no matter how much Will would deny it, his father leaving them hurt the most. Will was very prideful in helping to contribute to his family's wellbeing and indignantly accused his father of abandoning them, but one would see a shiny Rayquaza before they saw Will admit that he had let Cassius hurt him.

But regardless of what hurt more though, Will needed a pick-me-up to get him out of his funk. The torture of seeing her son waste precious years of his youth wallowing in sorrow had almost been too much for her to bear. And she would be damned if she let it happen again.

Normally, there were small things that could perk Will up, if only for a time. He could never resist smiling at his little sister Cassandra when his mother put her up to cheering him, whether or not he had caught on to her schemes. And Cell, his only Pokémon and only friend, was always right by his side. The two had been through thick and thin and Will loved the Solosis like a brother.

But minor remedies would not work now. Will had just been denied the future he had always hoped for beyond the walls of Eterna Academy, having hoped to study and become a scientist like his mother.

And like his father.

But deep down, Rosaline knew too that the sciences weren't his true passion. After his father had left and once he was over the despair that traumatized his young mind, Will had struggled to perform with the subconscious need for approval from his sole parent. Rosaline knew though that his true passion lied with writing and the creative sciences, and that he was afraid that he would not be make her proud with a career as solid as one grounded in the sciences.

One of the many advantages of knowing who Will at the deepest and most intimate level of his person was that Rosaline knew what Will wanted in life. And that was whether or not he wanted to believe it. She got the feeling that her quick-witted son had caught on to the true intent of their little excursion earlier that day, but it mattered not. Rosaline had a plan that even Will's rock-solid stubbornness couldn't repel.

Noticing a landmark of interest up ahead, Rosaline's smile became something more of a smug grin. She eased her foot off of the gas and slowed into the turn, gravel crunching beneath her tires.

"We're here," she announced, deliberately slowing the car.

Will's curious side crashed through his mental walls like a swirling torrent; he couldn't help himself put peek out the window at the presence his mother had proclaimed. Standing tall to the right of side of the Greys' car was the cause of Rosaline's inner anticipation and what she hoped would soon become Will's.

Drifting slowly by Will's window was a redwood sign that read, "Welcome to Nuvema Town!"

* * *

**Unova, Nuvema Town**

* * *

A quant little village set sprawled across a rolling green hill, Nuvema Town could by no stretch of the imagination be considered a pride of south Unova, but doubtlessly embodied its homey heart.

It was a community where everyone knew your name. Where your friends became your family and your family became your friends. Nuvema Town boasted no eminent attractions or desirable resources or even abundant space. A few dozen houses, all modest yet charming in build, dotted the open grasses of Nuvema Town.

Will had never visited himself, but had heard stories and seen pictures of the town's spectacular metamorphosis in between all seasons. Summers were greener than the most verdant jade and the autumns were a radiant collage of fiery colors. Snow fell in fluffy white blankets during the winters here and blanketed the trees, twinkling brighter than any artificial light that could be thrown festively around them.

Right now, spring was on full display in Nuvema. Leaves were budding on the seasonal trees and speckling their crowned tops with green. Best and most beautiful of all, the cherry trees had opened up their pink embrace for all to marvel at. Even with the contempt that had gripped his heart the past few days, Will couldn't help but be calmed by the welcoming pallet of colors.

The young man of sixteen had kept the past few days to himself. And by that he meant _strictly _to himself. He had scarcely spoken to anyone and any responses that were necessary to give were short and uninformative quips such as a simple "Okay" or a mundane "Sure" here and there. They were the only indications that he was actually there at times.

Will didn't want to burden his already fraught mother and older sister with his troubles, and his younger sister was much too young to worry about such things. He confided some things to the company of Cell, who was always there for him, but much of his inner toil remained on the inside. He had been able to deal with his problems before and could surely do it again.

Since he had kept minimal contact with his mother, of course he did not know where they were headed. Though, call him crazy, but he had one of those funny feelings that his mother was going to try and pull something on him to try and snap him out of it.

It wasn't exactly a farfetched idea though; Rosaline Grey _always_ had a plan.

Either way, Will had to know. Curiosity was one of his deadliest flaws and eight hours of it was beginning to surmount into a mountainous itch for knowledge. Will sat up straight and looked into his mother's mirror to make contact with her eyes.

"So where are we going?" he asked finally, his curiosity essentially making him forget of his bad mood.

Will could not see, but Rosaline grinned. "Oh, finally awake?" she jested, trying again to tickle Will's sense of humor.

"Awake and looking to find out where we're going. _Sir._" Will made the effort to joke back and not remain wallowing in his self-pity for the sake of his mother. He respected her and her sacrifices too much to take even a conversation with her for granted.

"Glad to see you back in the land of the living," she chortled.

"So am I. I hope."

Of course, Will still had no idea where they were going. It could be for some sort of overbearing therapy to deal with his depression. That might explain why his little sister had to come along, for an intervention of sorts.

Will shook his head. He had been through therapy before and while it worked to a degree, he had hated every second of it. His mother wouldn't just spring that on him. She respected his privacy too much to do that.

Glancing out the window as Rosaline momentarily paused the conversation to make a turn, Will noticed a young blonde woman of about his older sister's age tending to a garden. She looked up from the rose bush that she was watering and gave a neighborly wave, smiling all the while.

Will managed a short wave of his own before their car moved far enough and she was out of sight.

_The people here are awfully friendly, _Will couldn't help but think.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be delighted to see what's in store for you," continued Rosaline. She giggled suddenly, "And speaking of which, we're here." Her foot tapped the brakes and the old care let out a elongated wine as is halted its movement on the dirt road.

As he legs began to grow restless from the anticipation of their _unofficial_ arrival about ten minutes ago, Will gazed out the window of what stood before him. His eyebrows rose up high on his head in surprise and awe.

As previously mentioned, Will had never before been to Nuvema. Aside from the trees he knew none of the local sights or otherwise anything significant about the town. He did however, like any other young man or woman his age, recognized the building to his right.

_Everyone _in Unova was quite familiar with Juniper Labs, after all.

* * *

**Nuvema Town, Juniper Labs**

* * *

It wasn't an air of awe coming from Will as his eyes remained fixated on Juniper Labs. As he stepped out of the car and onto the freshly mowed lawn of the professor's property, Will couldn't help but be taken back to the untroubled days when he had visited Professor Oak's lab back in Pallet Town, when his mother or father would visit the old researcher on matters of business.

Of course, back then he had marveled at the very similar building's greatness in his childlike eyes. Anything larger than his house had seemed like a palace to him in those days. Perhaps it was nostalgia that made his heart flutter the way it did as he examined the building.

When he said it was very much like Oak's building, Will did not exaggerate. Juniper's building was much newer than Oak's and showed none of the wear or homeliness that Professor Oak's had merited from years of service. It retained the same rectangular frame like most labs manned by the other well-known Pokémon Professors across the regions did, even sporting the silo-like expansion that rose up higher than the rest of the building in the west wing. The red shingles on the roof served well to alleviate any shimmering glares that bounced off of the numerous solar panels lying flat on the rooftop.

Additionally, a shining silver windmill revolved lazily in the gentle spring breeze, planted firmly behind the lab itself. The solar panels and wind rotor working in synchronization with each other, operating the numerous computers and research devices around the clock doubtlessly converted watts into zeroes on Juniper's electricity bill. Alternative energy sources were certainly useful when running a lab where power was never without demand.

Hand on the edge of his car door, Will nearly slammed it shut before his mind began to thaw from its car trip hibernation and he remembered something important. Smiling at his own forgetfulness, Will turned back to the open vehicle.

"Cell, wake up. We're here."

A small bundle of blankets stirred in the seat between where Will had sat and where his sister still slept. At first glance one would surely mistake it for a pile of blankets and nothing more.

But up rose what truly rested inside, a drowsy looking amorphous blob of green goo. Otherwise known as Cell, William Grey's best and only friend.

Blankets slid off of his rounded form as he rose up from his sleep, eventually bumping against the roof of the car. However, the gelatinous shell that encased his body absorbed the shock and did little but jog him from his drowse. With lazy eyes, Cell floated cumbersomely to his Trainer waiting outside of the vehicle.

As mentioned previously, Cell was a Solosis, a Pokémon native to Unova but rare all the like. Its body was shaped like a globule of dough rounded at each end and then smooshed together. His mouth, a diamond shape with four lips that when closed resembled a crimson cross, centered his face. Two black ovular eyes flanked it. Atop its head was a single curled yellow horn. His entire body lie encased in a protective layer of green semipermeable liquids, serving to shield him against even the most harsh of weather conditions and environments.

The quad corners of Cell's mouth stretched to their maximum flexibility as he let out a squeaking yawn, his gelatinous shell quivering as his limbless body stretched.

"Solo so," said Cell, rising to the level of Will's head. _So, we're here already?_

"You've been out for a couple hours, pal," Will responded.

To dispel a very common myth about the two; they could not understand each other the level of, say, one human speaking to another or vice versa in the case of two Pokémon. Will and Cell had spent so much time in each other's company that Will had developed a rudimentary understanding of what Cell's words and motions would translate to in a human language. Solosis were said to possess the ability to read minds, yes, but this connection only went as far as Cell being able to read Will's emotion. The two could not telepathically communicate.

But some might argue that they could, in a way. Will and Cell were two halves of a hole. Neither of them did something or went somewhere without the other. Cell had been a constant companion to Will through all of his worst moments and it was things like that which sculpted a friendship that lasted a lifetime.

Cell hovered over Will's shoulder to get a peek at the lab. "Losis solos." _This building looks a lot like the one from Kanto._

"Yup. It belongs to a Professor just like the Pallet lab," confirmed Will, "I've heard that Professor Juniper even studied under Professor Oak for a while. No doubt his research habits and strategies have rubbed off on her. She's got the building architecture down to T." Hands on his hips, he further admired the building with Cell. "Heck, she even has the windmill."

"Losis…" Cell sighed, his head drifting to the ground. _Makes me miss Kanto…_

"Yeah, buddy," Will responded to Cell's longing, "Me too…"

When Will's father had abandoned them five years ago, his mother could no longer do her part in supporting the family with her usual at-home researching and private projects, especially with a newborn baby. Very soon after Cassius Grey had left, Rosaline, a botanist, had taken an offer from a Unovan corporation to study plants that thrived in colder climates. Rosaline moved the family to Icirrus City in northern Unova and that was that. Will had not returned to his birthplace of Kanto since then.

"William," his mother called from the around the van causing Will to look over his shoulder, "Could you help your sister out of her seat?"

"Sure thing, Mom." Will turned around and headed back to the car and around to the other side, Cell hovering just behind him. He pulled open the van's blue door, revealing the toddler situated behind it.

Rubbing her eyes with tiny balled-up fists, five-year-old Cassandra Grey (commonly known as Cassie) awakened. Her milky brown eyes stared up at her brother, who smiled back.

"Wake up, sleepy head," Will said softly. Cassie responded in kind by squeezing her eyes shut and twisting to the side, letting out a defiant and exhausted moan.

"Tired…" she growled, attempting to squirm into another sleeping position.

"Lo solo," Cell responded curtly. _You and me both, sister._

Will couldn't help but wryly chuckle at his sister's resistance. He reminded her so much of himself when he was that age. Back when he could afford to worry about things like sleep as much as he did and nothing else.

With or without her cooperation, Will unbuckled the safety harnesses of her car seat and gently grabbed his hands around her small waist. Tiredness had either convinced her to just play along or was taking over her functions all together, because her little arms rose up and latched onto Will's shoulder which allowed him to pull her up and out of the car.

Standing upright next to her brother, the ten year distance between the two could be easily discerned from rather far away. At his full height, Will stood at a good five feet and eleven inches, give or take a few on account that his last official measurement had been several months prior at his annual visit to the doctor. On tiptoes, Cassie would probably be able to reach just over half of that.

Cassie's hair was much fairer and longer than Will's, though her eyes were a chestnut brown in contrast to Will's brilliant blues. Similarities between brother and sister were not as glaring as they were between Will and his other sister, Jaclyn, but they were there and unmistakable at second glance.

Up front, Rosaline Grey had finished gathering her belongings within her large motherly purse and shut the door, turning to her two children and the former's Pokémon.

"Ready to go?" she asked, and Cassie came running over to her.

"Mommy, Mommy!" squealed Cassie, latching onto her mother's legs and staring up at her, "Are we gonna see lots of cute Pokémons here?"

Cell's eyes narrowed. "Solo so losis?" _What, I'm not good enough for you? _ Will only chuckled.

Rustling her daughter's hair, Rosaline responded with, "I'm sure we will, honey. But you need to be on your best behavior. Professor Juniper is an important colleague of mine. In a way even, she's my boss. She's a very, very nice lady but don't take that for granted. Don't touch anything unless she says you can, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy." Cassie's head bobbed obediently up and down.

"And you too," added Rosaline, fixing Will with a hard stare with a dash of humor mixed in.

"What!?" Will held his hands up defensively. "Why do _I _have to be reminded this?"

"You know…" Rosaline smirked and cocked and eyebrow.

"Tch…" Sweatdropping, Will recalled the incident eight years ago he had perpetrated between him and a hungry Snorlax he had encountered in Professor Oak's lab during a visit that his parents had allowed him to tag along on. "H-he was asking for it!"

"Solos," remarked Cell. _A likely story…_

William lightly tapped him, causing the spot of contact on Cell's liquid shell to ripple like disturbed water and Cell to roll sideways through the air.

"Quiet, you."

"So solos." _Just stating the facts…_

"Alright, that's enough out of you two," quipped Rosaline. After quickly sliding her glasses up the bridge of her nose, Rosaline clicked a red button on her car keys. The automobile chirped twice in response and locked itself. Grabbing her daughter's hand, Rosaline lead her around the car and to the winding path that lead up the small hill to Juniper's lab. Will and Cell followed closely behind.

Once at the top, Rosaline rang the doorbell. A grand _DING-DOOOONG _that sounded akin to the exaggerated notes played by a grandfather clock at the strike of a new hour. The Greys waited for but a few seconds until they heard voices from inside. They seemed to be bickering. Then, footsteps. As they seemed to grow closer to the door, the voices increased in volume.

_"I'm busy! Why should I have to do it!?"_ At the height of its frustrated screech, the voice reached a note that inclined Will to believe it belonged to a female.

_"Because I cleaned up Oshawott's last mess! And in case you hadn't noticed, I'm busy too!"_ This one was a bit lower; it most likely belonged to a male.

_"We work in a lab! We're all busy all the time!"_

_"Well, I'm more busy than you!"_

_"That's a load of Trubbish! And what do you mean you cleaned up Oshawott's mess? Minccino does all the cleaning around here!"_

_"That's no longer relevant! I said that like five minutes ago!"_

_"No, you said it like five SECONDS ago!"_

_"Oh, so now we're yelling?"_

_"We weren't already!? YOU'RE IN ANOTHER ROOM!"_

Rosaline and Will shared concerned, if not downright awkward glances. Had they not already been able to use their context clues to assume that the two voices worked at the lab, they might have assumed that a pair of mouthy thieves were robbing the place and that they were cutting in.

Noisily clearing her throat, Rosaline rapped a knuckle once on the door. "Um…hello? Is this a bad time?"

Immediately, the bickering stopped. A good two beats of silence followed, and then whispering.

_"Oh jeez…it's the Professor's guests…"_

_"What do we do?"_

_"We open the door! That's what we do!"_

_"You're closer!"_

_"Fine, fine…but you owe me."_

_"We've gone over this! It's your turn to-"_

_"Shush! We'll discuss this later!"_

There were a few more footsteps, these much more light and cautious than before. Another beat of silence, and then the click of the door being unlocked. The brass knob slowly turned.

Whomever stood at the other end did not open it fully at first, and only the right side of their face was revealed to the Greys through the open crack. From the way their red hair hung well brushed down to their shoulders, it seemed fair to guess that it was a woman. Her amber eye flicked from mother to son, identifying them. For this nor the door being locked, Will did not blame them. Nuvema might have been a rural town with a close-knit community but the threat of crime could not be ignored, especially at a facility that stored rare Pokémon and expensive machines.

The young woman swung the door open to reveal her petite frame, which was shrouded in a sterile white lab coat. Her round, friendly face betrayed the harsh and demanding voice that had battled with the other yet unseen lab hand before the door had been opened. She was short, probably a head shorter than Will himself. Adjusting her thing spectacles, she donned an embarrassed and apologetic smile. A bead of sweat appeared on her brow.

"Ehehe…welcome to Juniper Labs! I, uh…erm…" She coughed into her fist as she failed to break the ice, "Please come in! Make yourselves comfortable."

Rosaline nodded. "Thank you." The lab hand stepped out of the way and allowed Rosaline, leading Cassie along by hand, inside. Will and Cell followed.

"Um, I'm Valerie," the lab hand greeted as she closed the door behind them and they stepped into the lab's foyer, "That other voice was my brother, Malcolm. He should be down in a second. We both work for Professor Juniper."

With her free hand Rosaline shook Valerie's. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is-"

"Doctor Grey, yes." Valerie seemed to voraciously pounce on Rosaline's name. The older woman cocked an eyebrow, confusedly. Giggling awkwardly to herself again, Valerie folded her hands behind her back and swished her foot back and forth on the ground.

"Erm, sorry, I…I've read your thesis. On applications of plants to be used for a solution to the energy crisis, that is." Her smile twitched and evolved into a sloppy, awkward grin. She took a few steps closer to Rosaline and gave the impression to Will that she could begin drooling all over his mother at a moment's notice.

"I'm a huge fan of your work, Doctor!" spewed Valerie, her folded hands now pressed hopefully to her chest. "Anything about machines just gets me going, a-and…uh…eheh…ehehehe…"

Rosaline nervously urged Cassie, who didn't seem too comfortable either, to stand behind her. From behind Valerie came a disgruntled sigh, and a hand was planted firmly on her shoulder. Still drifting through the dreamlike fantasy world of being in the presence of one of her idols in the scientific community, Valerie barely noticed as she was dragged backwards on her heels by the unseen person.

"I'm sorry about my sister's behavior. She's a huge machine geek. Anything about cutting edge tech or metallurgy theories and she just loses it." Out from behind Valerie stepped another young hand wearing the telltale white lab coat as well as a pair of spectacles, his pair with frames a bit thicker than Valerie's. His hair, eyes and skin tone mirrored Valerie's exactly, minus the length of his hair, which dropped only to his ears, and his less-rounded shape. Even if he had not said so himself, it would have been quite clear that he was Valerie's brother.

"That's…quite alright," assured Rosaline, executing a sweatdrop herself. Having written a multitude of scientific reviews and theses, even a book or two, Rosaline was familiar with colleagues or scholars commenting favorably on her works. Never before, however, had she identified a…a…

How did the kids these days say it? "Fangirl"of her work?

Still behind her mother's legs, Cassie giggled. "You two look alike."

"That's because we're twins," said Malcolm, bending his knees to be eye-level with Cassie, "Valerie and I were born at the same time. Though I'm a few minutes older."

That seemed to snap Valerie out of her trance. "No, hold up! _I _was born first!"

Malcom stood upright and moved towards his sister and positioned himself directly in her face. "Have you been directly inhaling lab fumes lately? Mom said it was me!"

"Well, why don't we just call Mom and ask!?" she spat back, her face turning as red as her hair.

"We can't call Mom right now, idiot! We're at work and we have-"

The next word popped into both of their minds concurrently and they froze. In perfect unison, their heads swiveled towards the Greys. Will even managed a jesting wave before they turned back to each other and gulped. Slowly, the two stood upright, all color flushing from their faces. Both began to sweat profusely.

_Family vacations must be a hoot with these two… _Will thought to himself.

It would be understandable how the twins would be relatively unable to recover from that fiasco. Especially after Valerie's flabbergasted drooling all over the Professor's esteemed guest, and not to even mention the show they had put on before even opening the door.

And so they saw it as a divine gift from heaven above when the doorbell rang yet again.

"I'll get it!" cried Valerie.

"No, don't worry about it! I've got it handled!" Malcolm frantically croaked. Both assistants lunged for the door, their hands meeting on the knob and they wrestled for control.

For the third time in a mere span of minutes, the Greys were stunned. This time around however, now that Cassie had been introduced to the characters, she enjoyed the show all the more, smiling and giggling as she watched in between Rosaline's legs.

"They seem all too eager to open the door now…" mumbled Will.

"Solo so solos," added Cell. _Why can't we ever meet any normal people?_

Somehow through their tumultuous grabbing of the doorknob, Malcolm and Valerie had managed to get the door open. Or rather, _flung_ open. The duo lost their grip on the door and stumbled backwards onto their rear ends. With the door cleared now, Will could see who stood on the other end.

There were two of them, a boy and a girl. The boy seemed a bit unsettled but calm, faintly annoyed if nothing else at Malcolm and Valerie's nonsense. The girl just giggled, reacting like his young sibling despite seeming to be in his peer group.

Polar opposites, the two seemed from appearance at least. The boy wore a red and white V-neck shirt underneath his unbuttoned blue jacket, the color which his shoes matched. Obviously a meticulous dresser, a pair of black slacks completed his outfit's color matching. He had long but very neatly kept black hair, a single strand sticking up like a weed atop his head. His murky blue eyes glowered behind the lenses of his glasses and he wore beneath them a neutral frown.

Whereas the boy seemed dark and a bit gloomy, his counterpart was a ray of sunshine, or so she seemed. Everything about her was colorful: her sunny blond hair, her lime colored barrette, her orange vest and stockings over the white blouse and skirt, even down to her cream colored flats. Clothing tended to speak volumes for a one's personality, and this particular set made the girl out to be much more sociable than her male counterpart.

And if that was the case, Will's simple white T-shirt and weathered jeans would write for him a very short description: that he had dressed comfortably for a long road trip and that was about it.

"Oh…Cheren and Bianca…" moaned Valerie, rubbing her sore posterior, "You've arrived…"

"Exactly on time," the boy, Cheren, smoothly corrected.

"Cheren came to get me early so I didn't forget and make us late again!" added Bianca, giggling at her own apparent forgetfulness. Her eyes flickered to Juniper's other guests and her face look up. She skipped quickly past Malcolm and Valerie, paying no attention to their heed. She approached a little too quickly for Will to have reacted, and before he knew it she was right in front of his face. Startled, he jumped backwards. Cell snickered at his unsettling.

"U-uh…can I help you?" he stammered, shaking nervously. Bianca had come a little too close for comfort a little too fast

"My name's Bianca!" she merrily greeted, holding out a hand. Tentatively, Will shook it.

_I gathered that much_. He did not say that out loud, however, for fear of coming off as rude. But Will received the distinct impression that a person like Bianca would simply shrug off a remark of that kind.

"Please don't mind Bianca. She tends to get excited around new people."

The raven haired boy decided that he'd waited long enough for an invitation inside and shut the door with a gentle kick as he stepped in. Hands folded across his chest, he stopped behind Bianca and nodded to Will. "Cheren Komori," he greeted. "My mother owns one of the orchards at the end of town. You might have seen it on your way in."

"W-William Grey," stammered Will, Bianca still leaning in at an uncomfortable proximity. Keeping his eyes on her to make sure she didn't try any funny stuff, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Cell. "This is my Pokémon, Cell. And that's my mother and my sister, Cassie. We're from Icirrus City."

"Solos," said Cell. _Hello, there._

"Delighted to meet you, Cheren," said Rosaline evenly. Now overwhelmed by the amount of strangers in the room, Cassie had retreated back behind Rosaline's legs.

"Charmed," responded Cheren. Now stroking his chin thoughtfully, he directed his attention back to Cell. "A Solosis…rare around these parts. Seems to be at a lower level, so I'm guessing it's your starter…So you're not here for a Pokémon, then?"

Will's had to clamp his teeth firmly together when Cheren made the audacious remark about Cell's skill level. His partner might have been a bit unimpressive in the size department, but the two had won a very respectable amount of battles together both in Viridian City in Kanto and in their new hometown. Years and years of hearing such scathing comments about Cell's power and capability had given Will a harsh intolerance for such things.

Cell didn't seem too happy about it either. It was hard for such an adorable creature to seem menacing, but Cheren seemed like a smart kid and would notice by the way that Cell's eyes narrowed that the Cell Pokémon wasn't too impressed by Cheren's analysis.

Will could have continued on with his fiery disapproval of what Cheren had said, but once again all present were directed towards the door, which was opening for to admit yet another new face. Though it seemed that it was only new to Will, for both Cheren and Bianca seemed to recognize the young woman stepping through the door.

Malcolm and Valerie too seemed to recognize her, but instead of smiling at her approach frantically scrambled to their feet and brushing themselves off. Despite being in their early twenties, their matching "I didn't do it" smiles did nothing but help to incriminated them, as a pair of naughty children would do to their returning parents.

Rosaline, Will noticed, seemed to recognize her too. Comforted by the familiar face among the sea of strangers pouring in through the door, Rosaline smiled and pulled her daughter out from behind her.

"Aurea," she greeted warmly, "It's been too long."

The woman smiled back, closing the door behind her (for Rosaline's sake, hopefully for the last time).

"It's nice to see you too, Rosaline." Professor Juniper adjusted her handbag's straps to a more comfortable position on her shoulder. Juniper looked from her lab hands to Rosaline, then to Cassandra and finally to the grouping of Will, Cheren, Bianca and Cell.

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting," she said earnestly, moving further away from the door. "Now, if you'd all like to, how about we begin?"

Again, Will could only wonder what they could possibly be starting. Though he had a faint idea…

* * *

**So there ya have it, folks! We've met our dashing young hero, now all grown up, and have followed him to Nuvema Town amidst his dilemma. What is Rosaline planning for Will at Juniper's lab? What does Juniper have in store for these three Trainers? Find out next week in:**

_**Pokemon Black and White: Excelsior! Chapter 2: Rival Destinies!**_

**So, as you might have noticed, I just took Bianca's name in the Japanese release of the games and retooled it as her last name. I was gonna do the same for Cheren, but you know what his is Japense name is? It's still Cheren! So, to avoid having "Cheren Cheren" be Will's main rival, I instead took the Italian translation of his name. So thank you to the Italian language for coming to my rescue on that one XD**

**Alright, onto other subjects. Those of you who have read along with my work for a while, I usually ask a little question at the end of each chapter for you to give me some opinion on when you (hopefully) review. So since this is a new story, I feel like I can start over with and use some of my old ones. As such, this weeks Reader Question is: What is your favorite Unova starter? **

**Reviews are much appreciated! Thanks for reading and I hope you stop back next week! **


	3. Rival Destinies

**Chapter 2: Rival Destinies**

* * *

**Nuvema Town, Juniper Labs**

* * *

In terms of age among the Pokémon Professors, Aurea Juniper doubtlessly held the title for the youngest. Will had only personally met Samuel Oak, but knew from pictures and video broadcasts that the other four regional Professors were much older than Juniper. While not as ancient perhaps as Kanto's Professor Oak or Sinnoh's Professor Rowan, Professors Birch, Elm and Sycamore all seemed to be at least in their mid-thirties. Professor Juniper couldn't be any more than five years older than the redheaded twins who worked for her.

"Well, it looks like my tardiness at least accomplished _something_" said Juniper, optimistically. "I had originally planned to be here to see the Greys settled in before you and Bianca arrived, Cheren. Of course, I had forgotten about your split-second timing and thought I'd have a few extra minutes anyway…" Grinning ironically, she shrugged. "But, I took longer at the post office than I would have hoped, so none of that really matters. I take it now you're all acquainted?"

"Yeah…" croaked Will, his eyes flickering nervously back to Bianca "You could say that…"

Juniper smiled. "So you're William, eh? I've heard a lot about you from your mother. I think you'll make for a perfect candidate, don't you agree?"

"Well, I kind of have to know what's going on first to agree…" Will gave his mother a sideways look. He knew this was one of her schemes to wake him out of his funk. Some therapeutic something or other to make him stop seething over his most current disappointment.

He'd just need a few days to cool off and get back into the game. Never before had one of his little pity-parties lasted more than a week and that was because he had been able to sort out his own problems on his own time. Excluding once when he was a child, it had always been William Grey who resolved William Grey's issues.

"Professor, if we might be able to carry this along?" suggested Cheren, his words anxious but his tone even. "My mother was inviting some friends and family over for a farewell party. I don't want to be late."

"Cheren's mom makes the best apple pie…" said Bianca dreamily, swaying back and forth as she fantasized of the warm and flaky crust melting in her mouth.

"I won't keep you waiting any longer," replied Juniper. She didn't seem at all offended at Cheren's impudence of pushing his own schedule. As a matter of fact the very same welcoming smile she had donned when first greeting them all still remained. Will guessed this behavior was very common in Cheren.

_Most definitely so, _he amended, _People like Cheren don't favor a lot of change._

Juniper clapped her hands together. "We'd best get started then. We'll get you kids all set up so that Rosaline and I can have our little meeting." She turned to Malcolm and Valerie, which caused the twins to twitch suddenly like they had stepped on a Raichu's tail. Juniper was not intent on blaming them for anything (at the moment) but they were unaware of that. "Why don't you two go upstairs and bring Them down. We'll let the children decide amongst themselves who picks first."

They nodded quickly and scurried up the staircase, for the first time in a long time agreeing on something: that getting the requested package together was a better option than taking the time to hang around Juniper and bicker over who got to go.

Leaving her with her guests would also leave her less opportunity to ponder what was making them so nervous. They were a handful to Juniper sometimes, but they were loyal, creative where it counted and geniuses in their respective fields of biology and machinery.

"I'd invite you all to take your shoes off and get comfortable, but as you know, this is a laboratory and-" Juniper stopped herself, fixated on a shoe-shaped blotch of dirt on the ground. "Speaking of shoes. Minccino?"

"Chino?" Will heard a sharp intake of breath from both Bianca and his little sister as the Pokémon in question's head poked out of Juniper's handbag.

Minccino had a light grey fur that coated her entire body except for the tips of her long ears and tail, which were white. Minccino was meticulously well groomed in all areas with the exception of a tuft of fur that protruded from her neck, forehead, and ears.

Minccino smiled welcomingly at her houseguests until she noticed the dirt that marred her otherwise perfect floor. As the sole housekeeper of Juniper Labs, Minccino took great pride in her work.

And when her work was ruined or undone, it unleashed in her an obsessive cleaning frenzy that one thousand hells could not contain.

Her tiny heart beat like a jackhammer and she flew into a senseless panic, leaping out of Juniper's bag and scurrying as fast as her little legs could carry her to the umbrella stand that stood next to the door. From behind it she removed a tiny dust pan and, clamping it in between her teeth, she skittered to the tiny splotch of dirt. She dropped the dust pan's handle into one hand and began frantically sweeping the dirt into the pan with her long tail, which only now that it was being used in that way did Will equate it with its artificial lookalike: the brush.

"Wow," he commented, "Minccino is really efficient at cleaning. There isn't a speck of dirt left!"

"All Minccino possess that mentality," Cheren informed him, adjusting his glasses, "For as long as humans have documented behavioral traits in Pokémon, Minccino have always been known for their furious drive to clean everything they see."

"Wish I had a Minccino to clean my room for me…" lamented Bianca.

Juniper let out a quick chuckle of amusement as she picked up Minccino and propped the Chinchilla Pokémon back onto her shoulder. She beckoned for the children to follow.

"Alright, you three. Come with me and we can get started."

Cheren followed heedlessly with Bianca scurrying behind him to catch up. Will tentatively joined in their direction, quickly looking up at his mother as he passed her by. There was a puzzled look on his face. Rosaline simply nodded and gave him a "Just play along with it" wink and urged him along. Will rolled his eyes and followed along. Cell wasn't far behind him.

Juniper lead the three teenagers into a rectangular expanse adjacent to the door. The white tiled area was much more scarcely furnished than the rest of the lab that Will had seen thus far, and not very many spaces were covered.

A few bookshelves lined the walls, not as fully stocked as one might expect a scientist to keep around. Up on the wall hung a large screen, which was currently blank. In the small room's corners were two cylindrical machines with red tops and glass middles, revealing the rotunda-like apparatus within it, probably for storing Pokèballs. In the center was a simple wooden table, bearing nothing on its surface.

Cheren, Bianca and Will stopped at the mouth of the area while Juniper proceeded to the table, unshouldering her bag and dropping it onto the hardwood surface. That done, she turned around and clapped her hands together, ready again to start.

"Alright, let's begin! I am-"

"Professor Juniper, we know," deadpanned Cheren. For such a uniform person he seemed to have no tolerance for formalities that committed the incomprehensible crime of wasting Cheren's valuable time.

Juniper gave him a menacing look. "I was getting to that," she said through gritted teeth. She set the joking aside and recomposed herself. "Listen, I have to go through shpeal this every time, alright? It's a rule. I'll stop when Mal and Val get back but until then, we get this over with. Sound good?"

Cheren simply shrugged and Bianca giggled. Juniper, leaning up against the table, continued.

"Alrighty then. So, as you all know, my name is Professor Juniper. Here in the Unova region I study how the creatures we call Pocket Monsters, or _Pokémon_, came into existence. It is my duty and privilege to prepare each of you who step through these doors with the knowledge and readiness it takes to complete a Pokémon Journey."

And then it hit Will.

His eyes grew as wide as saucer plates as he realized the truth of what was happening here. That's why he had been dragged all the way to Nuvema Town! As far as he knew, there was no "meeting" between Juniper and his mother. She was trying to ship him off on his own Pokémon Journey!

Not to get him wrong, Will had always fantasized about going on a journey. Meeting new people, discovering new Pokémon and winning fame and reputation all over the world. And Pokémon Trainer's made a good deal of money during their travels, not to mention.

Yes, Will had thought about embarking on a Journey, which most kids back in Kanto began at the age of ten, and so he would have too. But then something terrible had happened, causing Will to forget about that dream for a very long time.

Even so, it was too little time in which he could make up his mind for a thing like this. And he wasn't about to interrupt Juniper's little ceremony to give his piece, either.

Mentally, he let out a frustrated sigh; his hands were tied up nice and tight by his mother's scheme. For now he'd have to take her mother's advice and just play along with it.

Will didn't realize that Juniper had been talking over his brief inner respite. Nor did Juniper realize that her lab assistants were planning on taking so long to retrieve the package she had requested from just upstairs. Distracted now, Juniper was just looking for ways to stall in case they took any longer.

"Sooo…yeah, that's about it…" Her eyes flickered nervously from child to child. Only Cheren seemed to notice her floundering. But he was always wearing that unamused frown.

_Darn it, you two! _Juniper mentally cursed as she could feel Cheren's gaze bearing down on her soul. _All I'm supposed to do is give the speech and hand out the Pokémon! You're just supposed to get them! The system works because the system isn't compli-yes! Finally!_

Juniper heard feet trampling down the stairs and sure enough, it was Mal and Val. Malcolm came down in the lead, cradling something in his arms. Valerie followed closely behind him.

"It's about, er, I mean, thank you." Juniper bit her tongue as she accepted the cylindrical container from Mal. He nodded and then retreated to the back of the room with his sister, standing next to Rosaline and Cassie, looking on.

Juniper sighed, contented. "Now we can continue." She placed the container gently on the table and pressed her finger against the small white button in the center.

_CLICK-HSSSSSSSSS!_

It popped open, a chilly white fog rising out of it. The vapor quickly faded away and revealed to Will and the others just what they had been expecting (except Bianca, who thought the frosty mist heralded frozen dairy treats of some kind).

There in a perfect row sat three Pokèballs, their red caps gleaming pristinely. Minccino most likely already had her lot with cleaning them, for the grey ball of fur remained calm on Juniper's shoulder as she removed the capsules.

"These are the three Pokémon a Trainer starting their Journey can receive from me here," said Juniper, backing away from the table with all three Pokèballs in her hands. "You'll each get to choose one to become your first Pokémon partner with. Now, let's meet them!"

With one grand flay of her arms, the three Pokèballs were sent tumbling into the air. All three Trainers, even Cheren, remained fixated on the spheres as they spun to the apotheosis of their arc before strands of white light began shooting from their centers. With three loud pops they exploded open in streams of light, each landing on the table and pooling into a distinct shape. The lights faded, revealing the three Pokémon.

First from the left was the smallest of the three, a bipedal green Pokémon with a tan underside and a curved beak of a nose. It had large amber eyes on each side of its head, giving it an expansive line of sight both forward and behind. Very useful for such a small Pokémon, or any at that. Two yellow crests folded from its shoulders around to its back, giving it an air of regality. But the piece de resistance for that trait was the sudden crossing of its leaf-like arms as it snootily turned its head away from the three Trainers, swishing its equally leaf-like tail as it did.

Second from the left and directly in the middle of the three was a small mammalian Pokémon, larger than both the first and third but small nonetheless. Will felt no harm done to his masculinity in admitting that it was one of the most adorable creatures he had ever laid eyes on. Its head was fluffy and round like a snowball, with a brown button nose dead center and a splash of freckles under its dark, "puppy dog" eyes. Its tiny torso was a puffy mess of turquois fur, with two stubby arms the color of its head protruding from the side. Its feet and flat Bibarel-esque tail were both a dark blue. Probably this creature's defining feature aside from its overall adorable demeanor was the seashell that rested in the center of its belly.

Finally was a squat orange and brown pig Pokémon, probably not on par with the second in terms of adorableness, but not exactly hard to look at either. It's snout was small and rosy pink lying underneath a stripe of yellow fur on its face. Its two forefeet were tipped with black hooves, and its back legs were a bit stubbier but had no hooves to speak of. There were two patches of black fur on it; one on its head and covering its ears and one on its posterior, making it look like the Pokémon wore a tiny pair of pants. Sprouting from its behind was a squiggly tail topped with a spherical apparatus the color of its snout.

"Awwww!" mewed Bianca, swaying to and fro. "They're all so cute! I can't even decide which one I'm going to pick!"

"You should wait until we decide who goes first before getting attached to any particular one," cautioned Cheren, again fixing his glasses.

"How about we all calm down and wait for Professor Juniper to finish?" suggested Will, earning a wry smile from the professor.

"I vote for the third one," she jested before turning back to the Pokémon. "Now, here are the three options you'll have for your first Pokémon, specially selected by the Unova Pokémon League."

"Solo losis," mumbled Cell. _They don't look so great…_

Will placed an index finger on his lips, signaling his Pokémon to be silent and wait.

"First we have Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon," stated Juniper, motioning to the green Pokémon on the left. "Snivy have been known for their stubbornness and difficulty to train, as well as their pride. But underestimate their capacity to follow orders and you might find yourself at the end of a nasty surprise in battle."

"Next is Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon. Again, don't underestimate him just because he's cute." While Juniper explained, Oshawott seemed to gush at her praise. "Oshawott are capable of powerful Water-Type attacks at both close and long range, and can learn a variety of striking moves with the shell that they wear on their bellies, called the scalchop. Truly a jack-of-all-trades in battle."

"Finally we have Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon. Tepig are known for their resilience and loyalty. If a Trainer tells him to accomplish a task, he'll just keep picking himself back off of the ground until it no longer can. Even in their smallest and weakest form, Tepig's flames are extremely hot and can singe Pokémon of significantly larger masses. A great choice for your starter. Now, speaking of which, who will pick first?"

Before Cheren could give his ponderous reply, Bianca piped up. "I think Will should go first!" she chirped, raising her hand as if she were in school, "He is the guest here in Nuvema, after all."

"How very considerate of you, Bianca," remarked Juniper with a smile.

"I don't mind," Cheren said, shrugging. He had no desired first pick anyhow. His choices were going to be based chiefly on strategy.

"Um…Professor?"

Will paused, looking over his shoulder at Cell. The Solosis looked at him with the same exact expression: unsurely. Will had never had another Pokémon of his own besides Cell. He shivered, a bad memory resurfacing.

Long story short, he'd never had another Pokémon _at the same time _as Cell. And, all in all, he wasn't sure now was the where or when he'd be able to get used to that. "If it's all the same to you…I already have a Pokémon."

"Oh?" Juniper knew he referred to Cell, but only wished to further hear his reasoning. She would by no means force or further pressure him to take another Pokémon, but was surprised to say the least. Most Trainers would jump at the chance to receive a free and extremely rare starter Pokémon.

"Yes," affirmed Will, "Cell and I have been through a lot together. I won't be opposed to catching other Pokémon on the Journey, but…there's no other Pokémon I'd rather start my adventures with than Cell."

"Losis!" Cell exclaimed prudently. _That's right! Will and I are a team!_

"I respect your decision, Will. But hang tight; I've still got something for you." Now she turned to Cheren and Bianca, Will having made his position clear. "Looks like it's just you two now. So, ladies first?"

"I'd rather have a fair ruling on who goes first," said Cheren, making his own unique case for chivalry being quite dead, "Perhaps a game of chance?"

"How about 'Rock, Paper, Scissors?'" suggested Bianca.

Cheren shrugged. "Fine by me."

The two stood adjacent to each other with their right hand held flat and parallel to the ground and their left balled up into a fist resting in it. They faced each other and shook their fist up and down as Bianca shouted, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

They both froze, their hands each formed in a different shape. Cheren's left hand was held flat while Bianca's was still clenched in a fist. Flabbergasted, she threw her hands to the side and pouted at her defeat.

"How come you always beat me!?" she wondered aloud.

"Because you always pick 'Rock.'"

Cheren strode away from Will and Bianca and closer to the table so that he could get a better look. Tepig and Oshawott looked hopefully up at Cheren as the raven haired boy stroked his chin. Snivy snuck a quick peek at Cheren, and after realizing that he too was being studied, snorted and turned back around.

_What to pick, _thought Cheren. Bianca's and the Professor's affinity of ceremony lead him to predict that Will would be nominated for the first pick. He had been correct in this assumption, but had not accounted for Will turning the honor down.

Cheren had initially planned on going after Will, then beating Bianca in "Rock, Paper, Scissors" and then picking the Type that would nullify Will's choice. Since he was already technically a Pokémon Trainer (and not Bianca) he would have proven the most prominent among Cheren's rivals.

Not to mention that the native Kantoan had been an applicant to the prestigious Eterna Academy. Albeit a rejected one, it took stellar grades and strings to be pulled in order to even be considered for the college without being bought in. But now with the complete freedom to pick his way, Cheren had to assess carefully.

Snivy, the Grass-Type, would be the fastest and most evasive, being able to strike quickly and decisively, dance nimbly around attacks or even a combination of both. An ideal choice for someone like Cheren.

Tepig, the Fire-Type, was the tank of the three. It could take the most damage and deal the most out, albeit slowly and less accurately than Snivy could. Fire-Types were not well renowned for their ability to take a lot of damage from a lot of different sources, but Tepig line was definitely an exception to the rule. That combined with a Fire-Type's notoriety to cause massive amounts of damage would make it a difficult foe to counter.

Oshawott was a balance of the two traits. The Water-Type was as Juniper described it; a jack of all trades and a master of none. It could attack efficiently from any range with attacks like Water Pulse at a distance and Razor Shell up close. For a Trainer who didn't want a Pokémon specialized in any one battle trope, Oshawott would be a boon.

Cheren quickly made up his mind. "I choose Snivy," he declared. Professor Juniper nodded and handed him Snivy's Pokèball.

"A good choice," she commented.

"Snivy sni," squeaked the Grass Snake. _As if there were any question about it._

That meant it was Bianca's turn. The blonde dashed excitedly up to the table, much closer than Cheren had been, and studied the two Pokémon as personally as she had when first meeting Will. He was glad that the two remaining starters were so excited about being chosen; otherwise, they would probably be weirded out.

"Hm…Which one…?" Bianca thoughtfully tapped her chin as her eyes went from Oshawott to Tepig to Oshawott to Tepig. Tepig remained happily in one position, allowing Bianca to study him. Oshawott, on the other hand, was a bit more twitchy. Every time Bianca would face him, his breath would catch in his tiny throat and he'd almost jump. Anxiety was killing the little guy.

"They're both such cuties…but I pick Tepig!"

"Pig tep tepig!" he excitedly snorted, smoke whistling jubilantly from his nostrils.

Next to him, Oshawott plopped down on his bottom and began to mope. This hadn't been the first time and it didn't look like it was going to be the last.

"Congratulations on your choices, both of you," said Juniper, handing Bianca Tepig's ball. Over her shoulder she noted the depressed Oshawott, and patted the little guy on his fuzzy shoulder. "Hey, cheer up, Oshawott. I'm sure you'll get picked next time."

"Osha wott…" he moaned. _That's what you said last time…_

Will was anxious to consult his two new acquaintances on their choices. He made sure Cell was following behind him (a force of habit) and made his way over to Cheren and Bianca.

"So, you guys excited to finally have Pokémon of your own now?" he asked, confident in knowing the feeling himself.

"HE'S SO ADOOOOOORABLE!" shrieked Bianca, partially answering the question. Tepig was clamped in her arms, the poor creature's legs dangling as she swung him back and forth in a brutal Beartic hug. "I just wanna eat him right up!"

"Piig!" _W-what!?_

"Solo solos," said Cell, reassuring the Tepig. _Don't worry. It's just an expression._

"So, what do you plan on doing next?" asked Will to Cheren.

"I was thinking of challenging you to a battle," he said calmly, "Out of the three of us, you've had the most experience as an actual Trainer. I'd like to test Snivy out against you and your Pokémon."

"A-already!?" stammered Will. Technically speaking, if you counted having an Pokémon that followed your orders as making you a "Trainer," Will had been one for about ten years. A few less if you counted actually having a Trainers' license.

But still, a formidable amount of experience between Trainer and Pokémon at such an early stage in their lives.

Cheren, on that technicality, had been a Trainer for about two or three minutes. Perhaps a few weeks longer if having the license counted.

"Yes. I want to see how polished my skills are before I depart for Accumula Town tomorrow."

"B-but didn't you say you had a party to go to?" stammered Will, beginning to make excuses.

Cheren shrugged. "I do," he said coolly, checking his watch. But apparently time meant nothing anyhow. "But I was planning on challenging you anyhow. The reason I urged Professor Juniper to carry on with her formalities was so I could be on schedule for challenging you.

Will was baffled. Did he have _everything_ pre-planned!? "W-when are you scheduled to challenge me?"

"Two and a half minutes ago," he answered, "But I can be right back on track if we make it a quick one."

"Losis so…" grumbled Cell, Cheren's attitude beginning to test him. _Keep it up, and I promise you it will be._

Both Trainers heard an amused chuckled from behind them. They around to the source.

"Such enthusiasm. I _love _it." Professor Juniper moved back over to the table, where Oshawott still moped, to retrieve her bag. Fishing rampantly through it, she began to walk back.

"I hope that you've guessed that I don't just give out Pokémon as charity," she said, her arm now motionless in the bag meaning that it had probably located what she sought. Her task accomplished, she looked back at the fletching Trainers and beamed.

"I'm a researcher; I do research, and a lot of it. And sometimes, I need research done _for_ me. But I'm only one person and my funding has a very distinct limit. I can't hire as many hands as I'd like to and I can't just send un or underpaid minors out to do it for me; the law says I can't do that. I can, however, start a Trainer off on their journey in exchange for this research."

Out from the bag, she pulled three short rectangular boxes. They were thin, at about twice the thickness of an average smartphone but small nonetheless. Two of them were black in coloring and one was light grey.

"These are the Pokémon Digital Encyclopedias," informed Juniper as she passed them out to each of the three Trainers, "Or 'Pokèdexes' for short. They automatically record the data of every single Pokémon you catch or encounter. Provided that they exist in known records, it can also access all recorded data of such a Pokémon. When used on a single Pokémon, it can provide you on useful information such as gender, type, move sets and so much more." She playfully winked. "I'd tell you more, but those are just the basics. I prefer for my protégés to become familiar with its advanced and hidden features on their own.

"Protégés?" wondered Will.

"Hidden features?" wondered Cheren, toying with his Pokèdex and no longer paying attention to Juniper.

Smiling, she nodded. "That's right. Each and every one of you has something special that is perfectly ideal for the kind of Trainer I want working for me. More well-known Professors like Oak or Birch may use a raffle system to pick from their pool of applicants, but I can afford to be a bit choosier."

Such high praise was definitely honored and welcomed by Will, but reflecting on it, he couldn't help but be dragged to a lower place. He knew not what Juniper meant when she said that. Cheren was intelligent and composed. Perfect for getting a job as intricate and often delicate as research done. Bianca, while admittedly a bit ditzy and perhaps a little flighty as well had a near infinite resolve, and not to mention her physical high energy. Very useful to Juniper, arguably just as much as Cheren.

But what did he have? As of late, nothing more than an exceptionally rancid attitude. His long term résumé could only possibly display his lengthy string of failures.

As he pondered, Will studied his Pokèdex. There was nothing too intricate about the device's design except for the red Pokèball shape on its cover and the small screen at its top. Its slanted bottom sported several small USB ports of various size and shape. Three smooth buttons, their functions unknown, dotted the side.

Will ran his fingers experimentally up them as if he were reading braille. Accidently, he put pressure on the button highest on the Pokèdex's right side. Letting out a serious of clicks, the Pokèdex's screen slid forward and folded upwards to reveal yet another screen below it! On the top screen appeared a picture of Snivy, which Will guessed was the Pokémon closest to the Pokèdex's LED detection apparatus. File photos of different Snivy began to cycle through across the screen. On the bottom screen, stats and statistical data began to scroll up and across as a synthetic voice read off a brief bio of the creature.

**Snivy, **buzzed the Pokèdex, **The Grass Snake Pokémon. Snivy are extremely supercilious and prideful in nature, making them difficult for inexperienced Trainers to train. Snivy are most often motivated to fight larger or noticeably stronger opponents and will sometimes deign it below them to face inferior foes. Snivy are said to be so proud that if they lose often in battle, the leaf on their tail will begin to droop. This large tail also allows them to absorb abundant sunlight and produce glucose and other sugars internally, which improve its speed when in direct sunlight. This Snivy is a male and is an estimated two years of age. It possesses the ability Overgrow and can use the moves Tackle, Leer and Vine Whip.**

"Cool!" chirped Bianca. "I wanna try!" She pointed her Pokèdex the wrong way and began to fumble with it, searching for a way to turn it on. Tepig waited patiently at her feet.

Will smiled; patience would be a very useful trait for a Pokémon of Bianca's to possess.

After a good thirty seconds of trying, Bianca became discouraged. Her arms dropped to her sides and she turned bemoaning to Professor Juniper. "Professor, mine's broken. Can I have a new one?"

"Bianca, honey…" The Professor drew a circle in the air with her index finger. Bianca stared down at her Pokèdex in confusion for a moment before finally catching on. She flipped the Pokèdex around and now, facing the right direction and pointed at Tepig, she pressed the "On" button.

**Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon, **chirped Bianca's Pokèdex, the synthetic voice much more feminine than Will's. **Tepig are invaluable Pokémon to keep around during the cold: they are compact, loyal, and possess enough internal body heat to warm an entire room fueled only by food. Tepig will only eat food heated by their own flames and nothing else, since a Tepig's body heat remains constant and will always burn food to an exact degree. During battle, a Tepig's body heat can briefly increase up to three times its normal heat. This Tepig is male and is an estimated two years of age. It possesses the ability Blaze and can use the moves Tackle, Tail Whip and Ember.**

"Wow! That' sooooo cool!" Bianca gushed, hugging the Pokèdex to her chest with the affection she had just held her Tepig with. "I promise I won't break it, Professor!"

"I'm sure you wi-won't! I'm sure you won't!" Juniper sweatdropped. She had the utmost faith in Bianca, but her ratio of valuable positions broken to valuable possessions kept in one piece was not very impressive. Seeing it in everyone's best interest, Juniper tried to quickly change the subject.

"S-so, Will and Cheren, are you two still looking to have a battle now?" she asked.

"I'd like to remain on schedule," said Cheren, nodding his head.

"I'll take that as a yes from Cheren…" grumbled the Professor, "How about you, William?"

"Well…" Will looked over his shoulder to where his mother and sister stood. Rosaline seemed to be beaming at her son in a way she had not in a very long time. Something glistened on her cheek as she smiled unwaveringly. Was it a tear?

"Go ahead," permitted Rosaline, "You kids go have fun. It'll give Professor Juniper and I a chance to talk."

"I'll referee!" volunteered Val, who up until that point in time since Juniper arrived had managed the incredible feat of remaining silent and not bickering with her brother. But as all records eventually are, this one was broken.

"You don't know squat about refereeing!" argued Mal, "I'll do it!"

"When's the last time you even refereed?" she retorted, giving him a light shove.

"Sooner than you, that's how long!" He shoved her back. She wobbled but regained her balance, thrusting her arms back at her brother. Mal caught them and began to push back, locking the two in a vicious stalemate. Evenly matched and seeing no option but continue or surrender, Mal and Val continued the struggle amidst which they shouted curses and insults at each other. Rosaline speedily covered up her daughter's ears.

Juniper felt an oncoming migraine and rubbed her forehead, leaving the Trainers and walking over to her colleague. "This…happens a lot. Would you like some coffee?"

"I'd live some," said Rosaline, offering an exhausted smile. The two women, child and Minccino headed for the kitchen, leaving the three Trainers to themselves. Well, not completely alone if you counter the four Pokémon and arguing pair of twins, now full on wrestling on the ground.

"We're a full three minutes behind schedule…" Cheren commented as he checked his watch once again, implying the fact that he'd prefer to move on.

"We?" responded Will.

Cheren rolled his eyes as if Will were being the unreasonable one. "Do you want that battle or not?"

Denying Cheren his battle and throwing his entire schedule into a tizzy would have brought Will immense pleasure. But then he remembered the other boy's remarks about Cell's low level and high aptitude for losing, as well as the burning desire he had felt to make Cheren eat those words.

"You're on," said Will. He felt a certain fire light within him, one he had not tasted the effects of in a long, long time. By now it was unfamiliar. Foreign, even.

But damned if it didn't feel great.

"Fine then. Let's go out back and have ourselves a battle," replied Cheren, calm but determined to utterly decimate the tall boy before him and earn his first victory.

* * *

**So it looks like Cheren and Bianca have picked their starters and Pokedexes, along with Will, who thinks he has figured out the game that Rosaline is playing at. What other conspiracies against him does she consort with Professor Juniper? And who will come out on top in the battle between the experienced Will and the calculating Cheren?**

**Find out next time on: _Pokemon Black and White: Excelsior! Chapter 3: First Battle! Will vs. Cheren!_**

**If you like epic Pokemon fics like this one and feel the need to read, check out Coli Chibi's "_Pokemon Red and Blue: Tony's Journey!" _Coli Chibi is a good friend of mine here and has helped me out a lot with my own stories. He's a great author and you should check out ALL of his stuff, if you get the chance! I'd appreciate it if you gave his stuff a read!**

**In light of the announcement of the new anime special (which has me pretty excited) this week's Reader Question is: are you excited for _Strongest Mega Evolution Act I_, and what are your thoughts on it? Personally, I think it looks awesome and I'm thankful for any break from Ash we can get in the anime...you'll find out here, if you don't already know, that I _really _dislike Ash as a protagonist...**

**But that's beside the point! Leave an answer if you review, and leave a review if you'd please, and I'll see you next week for some more Pokemon-y goodness!**


	4. First Battle! Will vs Cheren

**Chapter 3: First Battle! Will vs. Cheren!**

* * *

**Juniper Labs, Practice Battlefield**

* * *

Luckily for Cheren and Will, a battlefield was just within a stone's throw from the lab. Much befitting of such a place where Trainers would be eager to test their new partners in battle, a small area in the forested backyard of Juniper's laboratory had been cleared out for use of battling. When she inherited the lab from her father four years prior she had specifically requested its creation for the purpose of young Trainers testing out and taking the initial first step to forging a bond with their new Pokémon.

Had Will been a local, the spot would most certainly have been a favorite of his. The field itself, about fifteen yards in length and twenty in width, had been built at the edge of the nearby forest. Long grasses and shrubs hugged the long dirt rectangle and reminded Will, for better or for worse, of his childhood days back on the suburban outskirts of Viridian City where he would play. Overhanging tree branches shaded the makeshift arena, cooling it to the perfect temperature and eliminating the random and unfair possibility of the sun temporarily blinding a combatant. But a few cracks of sunlight danced through the budding spring leaves and onto the arena.

Will was amazed at the field's immaculate condition and wondered how it was kept in such good repair, what with all of the priority chores and duties lab personnel would have piled on their daily schedule.

He then remembered, however, the small detail of Minccino and her sporadic cleaning tendencies. Her radius of cleanliness around the lab was most respectable. And if this had been her work, then that would have to mean that the tiny mammal would have had to learn how to use the wheeled chalking machine, which currently was leaning up against the wooden bleachers on the field's left side, to outfit the field with League standard division marks. Props to her.

Just now, Will was heading to the opposite end of the field to take his place in the blue corner; Cheren would occupy the red. Bianca and Tepig were excitedly taking their seats in the bleachers, and Cassie had joined them.

Her care had been entrusted to Bianca, who after her "greeting" required several assurances from Professor Juniper that she would not in any way cause harm to or lose track of Will's little sister. Albeit a little wary, Will felt sure that Bianca would be true to her word. Looking over to the bleachers, Will noticed that Bianca's hand was clamped around his sister's. The bubbly blonde was taking it seriously after all.

Valarie, noticeably happier than her brother, was assuming the position she had earned as referee in the center of the field. Their wrestling stalemate had not lasted long, and soon after Malcolm had found himself pinned face down on the ground by his own sister with his arm being twisted mercilessly behind his back until he not only surrendered, but also promised to finish his Valerie's chores for the rest of the week. Quite unhappily, he plopped down on the bleachers next to Bianca.

"What's the matter?" inquired Bianca, noticing his melancholy.

Malcolm sighed. "I have to do the rest of my sister's stupid chores…"

"That doesn't sound so bad," she chirped optimistically, "And besides, working in the Professor's lab looks like fun! How could it be that terrible?"

"You don't understand. Not only do I have to do the rest of her minor duties up until Sunday, but also the chores she hasn't yet done _today_."

"So?"

"Today is toilet cleaning day…" he moaned. In his mind, the gushing sound of a toilet being flushed caused him to shiver. "And today was her turn…"

Bianca shivered along with him and the two swiveled their heads back around to face the field, mentally vowing never to speak of that again.

Meanwhile in the red corner, Cheren was beginning to grow anxious. But as always he showed no signs of it thanks to his continuous composure and calm. He checked his watch one more time and consulted his opponent, who was the entirety of the field away.

"Are you ready to get this underway?" he asked in not a yell but a slightly raised voice, "If we finish this battle in under four minutes, I can be back on schedule.

"Yeah, sure," Will called back before turning over his shoulder to Cell. "You ready to wipe the floor with this guy?"

"Sol solos." Cell nodded unwaveringly. _You don't even have to ask._

"Good. Onto the field, buddy."

Cell drifted over his Trainer's shoulders and onto the battlefield, glaring as menacingly as possible for such an adorable Pokémon. He was not left alone on the field for longer though.

"Snivy, come out." In a flash of white, Snivy appeared on the field before Cheren, hand prematurely positioned on his hips.

"Snoy," squeaked the Grass Snake, turning his head away. _This is what I'm fighting? From a beginning Trainer I was hoping at least for a Purrloin. I might even have settled for a Patrat…_

"Solo solosis!" _We'll see how confident you are when your dinky little vines are picking your teeth off of the ground, _Cell vehemently retorted, before vocally wondering in the language of Pokémon, _Do you even have teeth?_

"Snovey snoy." _If I did, I'd be using them to bite my thumb at you. Assuming I had thumbs as well._

That was the last straw.

Cell lurched forward with the intent of pummeling the uppity starter into the ground with a well-deserved Tackle. Snivy pompously stood his ground, knowing that no repercussion would come.

"Cell, that's enough." Will, with a hand extended, proved Snivy right. "Wait for the battle, buddy," he requested, "He'll get his."

Cell turned around and headed back, not too happy about it. "Sol solos…" _Fine. It's not worth my time anyway…_

During the brief lull, Cheren decided that that moment would be as good a moment as any to assess his enemy by use of his new Pokèdex, which he had yet to test out on anything but Snivy. Pointing at his retreating target, he keyed the activation button on the side.

**Solosis, the Cell Pokémon, **hummed Cheren's Pokèdex in the exact same artificial drawl as Will's, **Solosis and their evolutionary forms are among one of the youngest known species of Pokémon in the world, coming into being just before the creation of Pokémon Number 150, Mewtwo. Solosis were first created by Unovan scientists in 1995 after the failed Biosphere II experiment, which tested the viability of self-sustained environments. Solosis contain a central nucleus where such organs as the brain exist and control all functions of the Pokémon. Since their brain is so large, it can constantly project telepathic fields that maintain a gelatinous outer layer that can shield them from even the harshest environments, and even some attacks. Since their brain needed to be so large to achieve telekinetic capabilities, organs such as the stomach and intestines were foregone in their creation. For nutrients, Solosis feed off of solar radiation and uses the acidic liquid barrier around its body to dissolve foods. This Solosis is male and an estimated ten years of age. It possesses the ability Magic Guard and can use the moves Tackle, Psywave, Reflect and Rollout.**

"Magic Guard, eh?" Cheren deposited his Pokèdex back into his jacket pocket and quietly assessed Cell's ability and moveset. "Snivy has no attacks or possible strategies where I'd have to worry...So it isn't at all viable in this setting…Reflect will be somewhat bothersome but can be undone with Leer…"

Will cupped his hands of his mouth. "I thought _you _ask _me _if I was ready?" he yelled from across the field.

Looking back up, Cheren nodded to him and then to Valerie. "We're ready."

She nodded."Right then."

Valerie could barely contain her jubilee. For years she had wanted to shout out the formal beginning spiel of a Pokémon battle to a roaring crowd. Three onlookers plus a Tepig would have to be enough to satisfy her desires for now.

She cleared her voice and began to announcement. "The battle between William Grey of Icirrus City and Cheren Komori of Nuvema Town shall now commence! Each Trainer may use one and only one Pokémon! There will be no substitutions. The Trainer who's Pokémon manages to knock out the opposing Trainer's Pokémon first will be declared the winner! Red corner, are you ready?"

"As ever," said Cheren.

"Blue corner, are you ready?"

"Ready," Will said, determination flaring in his eyes. _First battle. Time to make it count._

Val reached into her pocket and pulled out a Unovan quarter. She folded her hand into something of a fist and placed it on her thumb. "Call it!" she declared, flicking the coin into the air.

"Heads!" called Will, fists clenched in sheer concentration.

Timed seemed to slow as the coin dropped into Val's palm. She opened up her fingers and waved a hand towards Will's corner of the field. "It is heads. The blue corner shall receive the first move. Let the battle begin!"

And just like that, it was on.

Will gave Cheren no quarter (pun intended) and went immediately onto the offensive. "Alright Cell, let's show these rookies how we do it back in Kanto! Psywave!"

"Solo so!" Radiant rainbow lights began to flicker around Cell as his eyes shined with a searing white brightness. On Cheren's side of the field, a small disturbance in the dust around Snivy's feet caused the tiny Grass-Type to studiously examine the ground around him. Nothing seemed out of place. He pompously folded his arms and smirked back at Cell.

"Sneh-heh-he…" the Snivy chortled. _Stupid blob of-whoa!_

"Snoi! Snoivi snoi!" Snivy was taken completely by surprise by the latent effects of Cells Psywave. Flailing his tiny arms and legs, Snivy was slowly lifted off of the ground and into the air, eventually drifting above his own Trainer's head. Cheren, however, remained undaunted.

"Relax, Snivy. Use Leer," Cheren nonchalantly ordered.

Snivy had no plan of his own, and decided for now to listen to his Trainer. Easing his muscles and keeping very still, Snivy managed to twist his neck with great effort to look directly into Cell's pulsating eyes. Psywave was beginning to restrict Snivy's movements and lock him in a barrier of stasis. Soon he would have been smashed headlong into the ground by Cell's destructive telekinetic power, but Cheren's plan saw to eliminating that.

Narrowing his snakelike eyes, Snivy gave Cell a fearsome death stare. Even with his empowering dislike of the arrogant starter Pokémon, Cell was shaken by the piercing stare and his psychic grip loosened on Snivy. His options now greatly increased, Cheren struck.

"Now use Vine Whip."

Two slender green vines snaked out of the crest on Snivy's neck and lashed across the battlefield, striking the still prone Cell and sending him rolling back through the air. The whip-like crack from the contact of the vines made even Bianca and Malcolm, who were several yards away, cringe.

The effects of Psywave now completely negated, Snivy dropped back to the ground, landing pleasantly on both feet. Will glowered at Cheren and his Pokémon likeness: old strategies didn't seem to be working well.

"Hang in there, Cell!" encouraged Will, "Get in there and use Rollout!"

"Solo sol!" Cell's anti-gravitational fields halted his backwards roll and then went into reverse, dropping him to the ground and sending him charging forward like a locomotive. His entire body blurred into a turquoise wheel with a white center headed straight for Snivy. Nothing, so it seemed, at least nothing Cheren or Snivy currently possessed, could stop it.

_"'An object in motion must stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force'" _Cheren recited to himself, strategizing, _"For now, I'll make sure that Snivy isn't that force." _

"Now, Snivy, use Vine Whip on the ground. Propel yourself upwards."

Snivy's vines snaked out of his neck and harshly slapped the ground, propelling the Grass Snake into the air, higher than any jump it would normally have been able to accomplish would send it. With no target, Cell skidded harmlessly past where Snivy has stood and then back to his corner, empty handed.

"Quickly, Vine Whip again. Now at the Solosis," nonchalantly ordered Cheren, his hands now resting in his jacket pockets. He appreciated Will for not only keeping him on schedule but for also going at a leisurely pace that he could keep up with, but now things were becoming cumbersome.

"Cell, use Reflect! Hurry!" urged Will, feeling adversely to what Cheren felt. His palms were sweating up a storm as Cheren and Snivy voraciously forced Cell onto the defensive.

Cheren had timed Snivy's next attack perfectly, as the rapidly tiring Cell Pokémon was just emerging from its rolled-up form and had its back to Cheren. Hopefully, his barriers would come up in time.

Hopefully.

"Lo siiiiiis!" Faster than Will had ever seen him do before, Cell executed a three-sixty turn and righted himself in an instant. Once again his eyes began to glow and a shimmering holographic box took shape around Cell, just as Snivy's vicious vines lashed down on him.

* * *

**Voila! New chapter a la mode! But you'll have to get the ice cream yourself...sorry. Budget cuts and stuff...The budget committee also informed me that I'd have to make this chapter a little shorter, but I promise that Trainer Naps LLC will produce a longer chapter next week! All one of my employees (me) are working around the clock!**

**Looks like Will isn't having as easy a time with Cheren as he thought he would. Can experience outweigh knowledge? Or will other factors come into play? Find out next time!**

**Not much else to say...pretty "meh" week for me. So the Reader Question is something a bit more simple, yet it has a bit more potential: what was your favorite/most memorable moment while playing Pokemon? It could be an encounter, a glitch, a funny mishap, a battle with a friend, anything memorable! **

**Please drop a review, and I'll catch you next week!**


	5. What's to Come

**Chapter 4: What's To Come**

* * *

**Juniper Labs, Aurea's Office**

* * *

Juniper handed Rosaline the much anticipated cup of coffee and joined her old colleague at the small ovular desk in the Professor's private office. In times where such a need was presented, the office doubled as the younger woman's sleeping quarters.

The foldout cot that she slept on whenever she wasn't pulling an all-nighter in the lab (or was asleep elsewhere, because she pulled an all-nighter in the lab) was folded neatly into the wall and hidden behind a potted rose bush that helped make her office seem more homey and comfortable. Other than that small detail and her closet, which contained very few articles of clothing to start with, not a soul would be able to tell Juniper slept in that very room.

Most, if not all, important lab material was kept down in the lab itself so that Juniper or her hired hands wouldn't have to venture up and down the stairs to retrieve anything during procedures and experiments. Juniper only kept valuables and personal effects in her sanctum, the most valuable and irreplaceable of which were locked within a hidden safe.

Others objects of affection, such as medals and photographs from Aurea's proudest moments were walls. Copies of her bachelor's degree, master's degree, PhD and doctorate hung framed over the small wooden desk at the end of the room.

The desk itself had belonged to her father, the lab's previous inhabitant. Crafted from the wood of an actual juniper tree, the desk had been a joking gift from Cedric Juniper's friend and colleague Professor Samuel Oak of Kanto. It was a musty old thing, but a desk was a desk. Juniper kept it around for another reason, however; she saw it as a sort of torch that her father had passed down to her when she had inherited the lab. When sitting behind it, whether it was to review paperwork or sneak in a quick nap, or forany other reason, it made her surely and truly feel like the rightful successor to the mantle of First Professor of Unova.

It made her feel at home.

Anyway, she and Rosaline simultaneously took a sip of their beverages and sighed in content. No one made a better cup of coffee than a scientist, and that was a fact. With all the lengthy work days and marathon all-nighters that members of the field frequently had to pull, they (no pun intended) had refined coffee making down to a science.

All productive activities within the scientific community, regardless of the branch, came down to a question. That question was, "How many unhealthy things can I cram into this cup of brown liquid that will make me stay awake longer?"

And when they had the precious luxury of time to make it taste sweet, they'd be damned if they didn't use it on the bitter concoction that was the end result of their anti-drowsiness cure. With her lab hands and the new Trainers out behind the lab battling, Aurea had been provided with just that time.

Rosaline lowered her mug to the table and dabbed her upper lip with a napkin. "You've always made the best coffee, Aurea."

"I've been told that we Junipers have a knack for it," she responded with a wink, taking another sip from her own mug.

Rosaline sighed, folding her hands around her cup. "I'd like to thank you again," she said quite humbly, "For my son. I…he's just…"

"Rosaline, please." Juniper bore much respect for the older woman and did not wish to see her humble herself. It didn't seem right. "You don't need to thank me any more than you already have. Life's dealt him a bad hand and he's been playing the best he can. Fate and everything else playing against him just seems to have a deck full of full houses."

Rosaline's thankful face softened to a frank smirk as she cocked an eyebrow at Juniper's analogy. The younger woman held her hands up in defense.

"I've never played cards, okay? Always meant to learn."

"Yes, well…you know how seriously repaying debts are to my husband and I. I can't let you sacrifice so much just for Will's sake."

Juniper politely nodded along with what her friend was saying. She tried to seem as understanding as possible while still being as baffled as she was at how Rosaline referred to Cassius Grey, William's father.

Especially after he abandoned the family five years ago and left Will with the deep emotional scars that the young man unfortunately had to bear. Technically, Rosaline's titling of Cassius was correct since they had never had a formal divorce. But to hear her use such a loving and sacred term on a man who had done such a heartless thing was just…it was just unthinkable to Aurea.

"Rosaline, you and your son are repaying this 'debt' tenfold," assured Juniper, using air quotes to reflect the insignificance of Rosaline's qualm. "William is heading out into the region as my assistant. He'll be collecting new and valuable research data with every new Pokémon he meets, I can call on him to run errands for me, and I even get a little more name recognition! And _you_ referred him to _me_, so that means you've both repaid me." She reclined back in her chair. "If anything, that means I owe you."

Rosaline shook her head, denying it. "Aurea…"

_KLAAAAAAAAANK!_

Both heads swiveled at the sound of a loud crash. On the sill of the closest window, a clay flowerpot containing a newly planted daisy had fallen to the ground and shattered, earthen soil spilling out into a filthy little pile. And it didn't take either women too long at all to determine the culprit.

Oshawott, his tiny face pressed up against the window, stared intently outward at whatever action was taking place down below. Juniper observed his tail, which was excitedly waving back and forth, and cracked the case.

"You need to be more careful, Osha…wott?" Juniper reeled slightly at an even more pressing revelation. "Wait, h-how did you get out of your Pokèball? And why are you up here?"

"Wat!" squeaked the Sea Otter, his face not leaving the glass. He was focused intently on something happening on the outside.

"I think I know what happened," claimed Rosaline.

"Wha- oh. Oh, okay." Juniper grinned at her older colleague as they both reached the same conclusion. Great minds thought alike, or so it seemed.

"Oshawott, are you watching the battle?" Juniper inquired slyly, her voice climbing an octave or two.

"Watt watt!" This time, Oshawott managed to tear his gaze from the window and acknowledged the two women before it immediately became glued back to the glass. Gingerly, Juniper's smile turned into a frown. She sighed.

"Oshawott's been through a lot too," explained Juniper, leaning in to Rosaline's ear so that the Pokemon could not hear, "Typically, a new set of Trainers come to receive Pokémon every two months or so. Sometimes sooner. After all three of each starter have been taken, I request a new set from their respective breeders. Most sets of three are gone with each new wave of Trainers each couple of months." Morosely staring into the cup, Juniper slowly stirred her coffee in a cumbersome circle. "Oshawott has been here for six months."

"That's so sad," Rosaline lamented.

Juniper nodded. "I know. He's such a spirited young Pokémon, but…that's just it. He's prone to fits of..._excitement_."

"I think I see what you mean."

Aurea nodded and elaborated. "You see, there was a girl among the trio that came along when Oshawott was first up for grabs. Her parents had reached out to me not too unlike how you had: their daughter was beginning to become more and more introverted and isolated and they wanted to send her on a Pokémon journey to break her out of her shell. At first I recommended Oshawott; Snivy would have looked down on her and seen her shyness, and that Tepig was lazy and would have been difficult to train."

"And then things went unexpectedly?" inquired Rosaline, assuming ahead of time that they would.

"Precisely," confirmed Juniper, "I let the girl pick first to make sure she'd get the one she wanted. She picked Oshawott, naturally, and the little guy could barely contain his enthusiasm. He had been picked first! That was any Pokémon's dream!" Juniper let out a gloomy sigh as the story reached its turning point. "Far too excited to know any better, Oshawott let out a celebratory Water Gun. Squirted the right off of her feet and sent her running from my lab, tears streaming down her face. Eventually, word got out about Oshawott's impulsive side and the poor guy got a bad rep. Whenever a group of three Trainers would come through and one was left with Oshawott, they'd opt out. And so ever since, he's been here."

"How very tragic…" commented Rosaline once again.

"Amen to that." Juniper continued to forlornly stir her coffee, not looking up. "And at this rate, it doesn't seem that Oshawott will ever get picked. Reputation aside, new Trainers like to pick Pokémon that are fresh off the farm, so to speak. It's the sad truth that the older the adoptee, the less chances they have of getting adopted.

Rosaline nodded. "If only you could a-"An idea popped into her head and her frown disappeared. Leaning in suddenly towards her friend's ear, Rosaline whispered her unfiltered plan to Aurea. Rosaline's devious smile quickly became mutual.

"Rosaline, you are just proving to be an evil genius lately, aren't you?" Juniper jovially remarked, lounging back with one arm draped over the chair and the other clutching her coffee mug.

"The thought of enslaving the human race with by use of my scientific expertise has crossed my mind once or twice, yes," said Rosaline, completely straight-faced but kidding nonetheless. "But, in all seriousness, none of this subterfuge between you and I has been for anything else than Will's, and your, benefit."

Juniper grinned, raising her mug to toast the sentiment. "Well, then, it looks like I owe you _two _after this."

Rosaline nodded, and the two women took a sip of their coffee, their eyes swiveling deviously towards Oshawott, who was still intently watching the ongoing fight between Will and Cheren. Little did he know that if Juniper and Rosaline's newest plot went according to print, he would no longer be forced onto the sidelines of such battles.

* * *

**Juniper Labs, Practice Battlefield**

* * *

Lashed by Snivy's vines, Cell's Reflect shattered into a thousand sparkling granules of light at first contact. The tactic seemed to have softened the blow, thus preventing Cell from suffering the full effects of the attack, but he was certainly in pain nonetheless. His bodiless form seemed to loll to the side and his eyes had adopted a weary squint. Cell was nearing the edge of his rocker.

Mal furrowed his brown, deep in thought. Will and Cheren's battle had been an object of great interest to a studious mind such as his. Pokémon spoke to him, a biologist, in a certain way that they did not to his sister, a machinist. Subtle cues and behavioral reactions in Pokémon could tip Malcolm off towards to revelations much more significant than the clues with which he was provided. It was a talent he had simply honed from countless hours of study.

"I'd have thought Will would take the advantage here seeing as he's had his Pokémon for the longest…" he mumbled to himself, "But Snivy seems to be performing better than the Solosis…after seeing Cheren's competence as a Trainer, it must have accepted him and discarded any reluctance to act…"

"What's that?" Bianca addressed him quizzically.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. Just wondering about the battle."

"Why not just enjoy it?" she blithely retorted. Malcolm couldn't help but be strangely warmed by the blonde's virtue; such a thing was hard to come by these days.

"Well, since I'm a scientist it's kind of force of habit to think about these things in-depth," explained Mal, perpetrating another force of habit, hand motions, to get across his point in a seemingly sporadic manner. "Since Will has been Cell's Trainer for over ten years, I'd assumed he would have the upper hand. But Cheren seems to be gaining ground over him and…well, I can't seem to figure out why."

"They're both good Trainers, but Cheren is really good. At least, I know that personally. He always won his battles in school and he never got anything less than an 'A' on his tests and quizzes." Bianca looked disconsolately down at her lap, sighing. "I always wished I was more like him…"

"Pig, pigpig!" Tepig discharged a whistling blast of steam from its nostrils before leaping into Bianca's lap and nuzzling her stomach affectionately. _Don't get so down! _ he said in the language of Pokémon, _You're Bianca, and that's good enough!_

Bianca giggled, wrapping Tepig up in her arms. "But it's no time to be a Negative-Nancy! There's a battle to enjooooooy~!"

"Who are you rooting for?" wondered Malcolm.

"Well, let's see…" Bianca thoughtfully tapped her chin, "Oooooh, how am I ever going to be able to watch a battle if I can't pick a favorite!? I want Cheren to win, but I don't want Will to lose!"

"He'd better not lose!" chirped Cassie, standing up on the bleachers and shaking a fist at her Will. "Go, big brother!"

"Reminds me of my sister," mumbled Malcolm.

"That's sweet!" remarked Bianca.

"Yeah, except she never rooted for me…"

Deliberation and debate may have ruled the crowd (if you could even call it that) on the bleachers, but the combatants had no such time to think. At least, Will didn't.

It made no sense: the more feverously he thought and planned to counteract Cheren's tranquil dominance of the battle. If Cheren was an immovable object, Will was going to have to become an unstoppable force, giving the raven-haired Trainer no time to collect his own thoughts. But for whatever reason, that strategy wasn't working at all.

Cassie's shout of confidence installed a new urgency within him. It reminded him of what this was: his first battle! Literally speaking it meant nothing to his future, but was like a red mark on an invisible portfolio. He had to win for himself. For Cell, too. He couldn't let an opportunity the likes of a first battle go to waste.

"Cell, use Rollout again!" he ordered, this time hoping for different results. But he didn't hope against hope that these results would randomly come about. Changing nothing of his strategy would change nothing of the outcome. If the quick thesis he had whipped up worked, it would hopefully mean a turning of the tables.

For now amidst the cacophony of doubtful shouts within his mind, among all of the logistics telling him that he could _not _do this…Will had a plan. A desperate, desperate plan.

Cheren honestly found himself surprised. Not bafflingly so but enough to give him something to think about Will's methods. Will was much smarter than someone who would just perform the same action over and over again hoping for different results. Or at least, that's what he had thought.

Regardless of whether or not Will would plan on trying something different, Cheren planned on winning. "Rollout again? So be it. Snivy, use Vine Whip to dodge again." If Will was figuring that repeat strategies would provide new outcomes, Cheren would prove him wrong.

Sharing his Trainer's calm, Snivy whipped out his vines and with them slapped the ground, propelling himself high into the air. It was then that Will seized his chance and sprung his trap.

"Cell, stop rolling and use Tackle!" he cried, a bead of sweat trickling down his face, "Use the momentum to knock Snivy out of the air!"

Cheren's eyes expanded to the size of saucer plates. Will's strategy was radical and if it had been suggested to him on a setting other than the battlefield, he would have dismissed it as bogus. But Cheren's book smarts translated not only to strategy but to academics. And he knew in an instant that the sudden transferal of momentum from a Solosis affected by gravity to one bound not by such a rule would create an object in voracious motion.

And an object in motion stayed in motion, until it comes into contact with an outside force.

And now, Snivy was that outside force.

Breaking from the rapid roll, Cell bounced into the air like a rubber ball on a ballistic trajectory towards Snivy. Its snide sneer vanished slowly from its face as the green blur gained a lot of distance in a very short amount of time.

"Snooooooooooi!"

Cell barreled into Snivy and knocked him out of the sky. In fact, both of them crashed to the ground together, as Snivy was not nearly heavy enough to deflect or even stop Cell's rocketing roll. With Cell pressing at his back, Snivy belly flopped into the ground and emitted a pain squeak as Cell's full weight pressed down on him, plus that of the momentum gained from both the launch and the fall. Only now did Cell bounce off of Snivy and resumed hovering, albeit dizzily, over the ground.

Will's heart skipped a beat. "Cell, are you alright, buddy!?"

"Solo so…" _J-just a little tipsy…_Cell swayed a bit. Had he a stomach and undigested food within it, vertigo may have coerced him to throw it up.

Val rushed as close to the field as possible and nearly toppled over trying to right herself after a sudden stop. Her toes pressed into the ground and her arms flailed wildly in an effort to stop a face plant onto the field, which in an official League match such as a Gym battle, would have resulted in the battle being ended with no winner declared. Val managed to reclaim her posture and examined Snivy. Other than the occasional twitch from his shoulder blades, the Grass Snake wasn't moving at all.

"Snivy is unable to battle!" she declared, waving an open hand towards Will, "Which means that William Grey from Vir-er, I mean, Icirrus City is the winner!"

Will was far to ecstatic to notice Valerie's close call with mentioning his birthplace instead of his current hometown. The jubilant teen ran to his Pokémon, jumping and enveloping Cell in an affectionate hug.

"We did it!" was all he could manage amidst his enthusiasm.

"Solo solo!" answered Cell. _Wasn't I great!? I- _Cell squirmed, _Could you ease up? You're squishing me._

Sighing in mild discontent, Cheren recalled Snivy to his Pokèball and addressed the capsule as if it were Snivy himself. "This is only one battle, Snivy. It means nothing to our League ranking. Don't worry; it was my fault." He looked thoughtfully at the rejoicing Will. "I simply could not put it past me that something so…_unorthodox _would work. Fret not; it won't happen again."

Glancing up briefly, Will noticed Cheren's aside to his Pokèball. It wouldn't be very befitting of him to continue to celebrate dead-center in the battlefield and seem like he was gloating. Cradling the wounded Cell in his arms, Will walked over to Cheren to congratulate him.

"You really had me going there for a while," admitted Will, causing Cheren to look up in surprise, "I thought for a second there that I was gonna lose!"

"Solo sis…" mumbled Cell, his Trainer's flattery not very inspiring in his own opinion.

Cheren adjusted his glasses. "Well, that was the plan." Will chuckled at first but then realized the humorless intent in Cheren's statement. "But you sudden change in tactics was what turned the tide in your favor, surely and truly. What was your process of thinking?"

Will shrugged. "No 'process', really. I just thought that since a strategy wasn't working since, punch for punch you've definitely got me beat in that department, so I just didn't go with a strategy."

Cheren's brow twitched. It took him a moment to sponge in and decode what he had just heard. Even then it made no sense. "So you…you had no plan?"

"Nope. Not really. I was just throwing stuff against the wall to see what stuck." He smiled rather showily, repaying Cheren's prior cockiness. "Apparently, this did."

"S-so, you just winged it?" Cheren asked again, apparently still baffled.

"Yup. No plan. None. Whatsoever."

"So your victory was-"

"An accident? Possibly."

Words had long since left Cheren, with his questions and retorts to Will resulting only from confusion. He said nothing more; rather, he simply turned around and walked in the other direction. He didn't seem to be trying to make a statement to Will: Cheren was just finished there.

But, he stopped. "Will," he said evenly while still facing the other direction, "I want you to promise me something."

"S-sure?" Will was unsure what he was going to ask for.

"You mentioned you thought that, for a moment, you might lose." Cheren paused, quite dramatically, Will might have added. "Next time we battle, promise me you won't doubt yourself. That way, I won't get anything less than your best."

And with that he walked away, headed towards Juniper's lab. Will presumed that he'd heal up his Pokémon to showing shape and then head to the party his family was throwing for him.

_Can't have a celebration without "Life-of-the-Party Cheren," now can we? _

Will chuckled to himself as Bianca and Cassie skittered up next to him, still holding hands. Bianca had to dig her heals into the ground to stop their excited momentum. Before he could even address them he felt his sister's arms wrap around his legs and Bianca's around his shoulders. He cursed puberty as the latter's touch caused his cheeks to grow warm and red.

"I'm so proud of you, big brother!" squeaked Cassie from beneath him.

"Me too!" cheered Bianca, backing off slightly so that Will could get a good look at her round, sunny face. "I've never seen anyone beat Cheren before! That's really hard to do!"

"Uh…th-thanks?" By now, Will had received the distinct impression of Bianca's bubbly attitude and friendly regard towards everyone, but her sudden embrace had come across as somewhat of a surprise nonetheless.

_Looks like Cheren isn't the only one who needs to learn to deal with surprises, _Will wryly noted to himself.

"So, do you wanna come with Cheren and me?" offered Bianca, folding her hands in excited anticipation, "He told you that his parents are throwing a 'going-away' party for him, right?"

Will nervously scratched his head. "Erm, well, there are some things I wanted to do after the battle. I think before I do anything else I should go see my mom and the professor."

"Well, as it so turns out, 'the professor' thought she'd come and see you."

Will whipped around. Standing near where Cheren had stood in the red corner during their battle was Juniper. She was beaming proudly at Will as if he were her own child, but impressed at his victory either way.

"P-professor? D-did you see-"

"Of course I did," she answered, cutting him off.

"A-and?"

"And? _And_ I don't know why you're so nervous!"

Will shrugged. "Well, there was something I wanted to discuss with you, and…"

"_And _I think it's time we stopped piling new things on with _and _have a chat, you and I," said the professor, looping an arm around his shoulders. "Why don't you give Cell to Mal and Val so they can heal him while we talk?"

Nodding, Will reached into his pocket. Cell recognized what he was doing and squirmed, though his injuries didn't allow for much resistance. Cell hated it when Will put him into his Pokèball and would always put up a valiant opposition whenever Will tried to put him in. But after the battle, Cell found that little energy remained and he'd just have to go along with it.

"Solos os…" he protested weakly.

"It's for you own good," Will assured him. He tapped the button on the Pokèball, causing Cell to vanish with a flash of red light. He turned and handed the ball off to Valerie, who had been closest, and she and her brother headed off. Will hoped that Cell would not be forced into the middle of their bickering.

"Now," said Juniper, leading him around to the building's front lawn, "Let's have that chat, shall we?"

* * *

**Juniper Labs, Front Lawn**

* * *

Noon had since passed on that day and the sun was beginning its slow decline across the west sky. It had passed behind Juniper's place and taken with it the golden sunshine it spread over the lawn, now pressing against the buildings back and causing a long shadow to stretch across the grass, enshrouding Will and Professor Juniper as they walked.

It was a bit cooler here than where Will and Cheren had battled, and Will welcomed this refreshing change in atmosphere. Not only did it allow for his body to cool down but for his mind to relax too. Better that it did for his talk with Juniper.

Speaking of whom, the young Professor was taking her time as well as great care to ensure that Will did not feel pressured by her in any way. Her job was to get him on his journey, yes but not pushing him. Rather she hoped to attain this goal by providing him with gentle nudges and doing her part to be as supportive as possible.

He could not take the ambiguity any longer. Finally, Will broke the silence as the two strolled along in front of the lab.

"I'm not sure about this journey," he said plainly, laying his platform out quite plainly for the Professor to interpret as she would.

"I can understand that," responded Juniper, nodding.

Will frowned. "It's just…ugh, I don't know!" Will hands flared up in frustration with his indecision.

Juniper placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. She looked sincerely into his blue eyes. "Will, I know things have been tough lately and I only want to help you. I've been through all of these things before too, you know. Losing a parent. Being rejected from a college. But I got through it." Juniper noticed a considerable slump in Will's shoulder and an overall plummeting of his poise. "I'm not here to give you the 'When I Was Your Age' speech, Will. I know that doesn't work.

"If only everyone else did…" he mumbled, kicking a small stone across the grass.

Juniper chewed at the corner of her lip. It almost felt selfish to admit but her chief goal was to ensure that Will made up his mind in favor of going on the journey. Yes, she would benefit from his leaving on the trip, but it was mainly for him.

Rosaline had planned this as a therapeutic venture. After his recent misfortunes as well as resurfacing childhood traumas, she had seen it a good idea for Will to embark on a Pokémon journey. He'd be able to see the world, get more in touch with himself, and maybe even meet some new friends to help him through the rough patch in his life.

Plus, Juniper understood his pain on multiple levels. She too had lost a parent at a young age, albeit in a different manor than Will had. But from what she knew of Rosaline's husband, Cassius Grey was essentially dead to Will anyhow.

And her college situation hadn't been much different from Will's either. Ever since girlhood her dream had been to research and eventually uncover the answer as to how and why Pokémon at large had come into existence. Four prestigious colleges had rejected her entrance thesis on Pokémon origins before she was finally accepted into Striation University.

She knew how fragile a person in Will's (and once her own) position was and decided to approach tentatively.

"Will…I've been through some hard times too," she opened with.

Will sighed. "Here we go…"

"No, no! I _promise _this isn't the speech!" urged Juniper, sheepishly grinning and waving her hands in a warding-off gesture.

"Fine. Continue."

"Right." Along with her advice, Juniper resumed the slow pace across the lawn with Will following alongside her. Evidently, he too felt an ease come across his body when walking even with another person. "You're in a bit of a funk now. Am I wrong?"

"Definitely not," Will admitted a little glumly. Amidst his stubborn self-indulgence in the days prior when confronted about the problem by his mother, therapists, neighbors, et cetera, he had said the exact same thing as a sign he wanted to be left alone. But now, after all that had happened in such a short span of time, he almost felt ashamed not to elaborate or allow Juniper in.

"And you feel like only you should be able to fix this problem. Am I wrong again?"

"You're two for two, Professor," admitted Will.

Juniper held her head a little higher and grinned. "Well, what do you know? The Professor knows a thing or two?" She eased the joking to a more personable level. "Will, you won't know the kind of things that a journey can do for a person until you actually go on one. You've known Cell for what, ten years now? What if I told you that you haven't even _scratched the surface _of the bond that you two can forge!"

"Only scratched the surface, huh?" remarked Will, brushing his right hand up and down his left arm to dispel goose bumps. Nuvema Town was beginning to cool what with the setting sun, but Juniper's proposals were beginning to send shivers down his spine.

"Yup," affirmed Juniper, nodding, "That Pokèdex of yours is only the first step. There are literal hundreds of Pokémon you've yet to meet. Literal _thousands_ more you've probably yet to hear of." She stopped her even gait, hands on her hips. "Your story is yet to be written, William Grey. And only you hold the pen."

Will stopped too and cocked an eyebrow at his mentor. "You're not very good at analogies, are you, Professor?"

"Like mother, like son," she muttered sardonically under her breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," she chuckled, dropping a hand on Will's head and messing up his hair like his big sister used to do before he surpassed her in height. "You're a good kid, Will. That's why I want you working for me. Things you and I _couldn't_ accomplish together would be the shorter list of the two."

Nodding, Will pulled out his Pokèdex and held it before his eyes. It was no bigger than the average library book and to anyone else might seem like just another piece of tech. But to Will it was much larger than actual size or scope. A trust was imbued in the little red box. A trust that he was unsure whether or not he should take.

Will placed the Pokèdex back into his pocket and looked back up at Juniper. "Professor, I'm not saying no, I'm just…not saying yes yet. This is all so sudden and new to me, and, well, I didn't exactly come to Nuvema today ready to become an assistant to Unova's premier Pokémon researcher." He grimly smirked. "Truth be told, I came prepared to tell some overpaid shrink that he could stuff it. But I can honestly say that I prefer what happened here today over that. I met some new friends. I was showed the door to a whole new world and had it opened for me. It's just…"

"You're not sure if you should take the first steps or not?" guessed Juniper.

"Ding-ding-ding. That's three, Professor. Looks like you win a prize."

Juniper giggled at the teen's sense of humor, prevalent even in darker times. "Well, come morning tomorrow, maybe it'll be a new research assistant." She patted him on the back and swiveled his body with hers, directing him towards the lab. "Your mother is taking you and your sister out to eat at a local restaurant. After that, she's arranged for the three of you to stay the night here. I'm not going to try and sway you any more than I already have, but I just ask that you sleep on it. Maybe give me an answer in the morning?"

"Sounds good," agreed Will. He tapped his fingers together nervously, unsure how to end the pep talk. "Um…well, I'd better not keep my mother waiting."

"I agree. You three have fun. I might be busy through the night, so I might not see you until morning." Juniper gave him a reassuring smile, and then a gentle shove towards the lab. "Just sleep on it. Don't worry too much about it now."

Will nodded shakily and headed for the door. Initially he struggled between facing Juniper and the lab, his destination, but eventually made the wise decision on focusing on where he was going. After, of course, he tripped on a knot of grass and nearly sprained his ankle. It was from these unsure gestures that made Juniper sure that Will in fact _was _worrying too much about his decision.

Juniper silently cursed herself as the door swung open and Will stepped inside. She had jinxed him into placing it foremost on his mind. He'd now most likely be spending most of what was supposed to be a fun night with his family thinking long and hard about it.

But, it was an important issue. Important not to Juniper but to Will. Whether he realized it or not, going away for a while with just his Pokémon and opening himself up to a whole new world of possibilities would do wonders for him. It would knock him clean out of his funk. For that at least, Juniper was glad she had given him time to think.

Sighing to herself, Juniper reached into the right pocket of her lab coat and removed a single Pokèball. Even though it remained motionless, she could sense the eagerness and angst emanating from the capsule.

The Pokèball (and the Pokémon it contained) she had hoped to be a touching point in her conversation with Will. But she had been fully prepared to face a situation where, based on Will's current thinking and reactions, would be unfair to press him about. And so after noting his hesitance and lack of clarity, she had abstained and decided to wait.

"You're being awful greedy lately, aren't you, Aurea," she said in a slight soliloquy, sticking the Pokèball back into her pocket, turning around and heading back into the lab herself. Day would turn to night not after long and she'd have to get started on preparing her own dinner.

But her mind and the Pokèball in her pocket weighed even more heavily than before as she strolled back inside. For tomorrow, she would have to ask yet another favor of William Grey.

* * *

**Next time on "Pokemon Black and White: Excelsior!"**

_**Chapter 5: Will's Decision**_

**In which we find out the MIND-BLOWING answer of whether or not Will shall embark on a journey and start his journey, or just say "No" to Juniper and end the story at 5 chapters. You guys are lucky April Fools was ten days ago...had it been next week, I might've pulled something like that...**

**Anyway, we'll also find out some of Will's inner thoughts about this whole thing, as well as Rosaline and Juniper's master plan involving Oshawott. So stay tuned!**

**BIG BRAWL NEWS! Five new characters have been officially announced for the new Smash Bros. game. I think we all saw Zero Suit, Sheik and Yoshi coming, and that's great and all, but we have two surprises. Charizard will be appearing as a standalone character (no Ivysaur or Squirtle :() and the newest member of the Smash Bros. family, Geninja will be appearing as a playable character! While this is awesome, as I LOVE seeing new characters like Little Mac and Megaman, I guess this means no Mewtwo...*sigh* But I'm still pumped, and this leads into my Reader Question!**

**Reader Question is: what Pokemon would YOU like to see playable in new Smash Bros. titles? Do you want to see the return of old favorites like Mewtwo and Pichu? Or new Pokemon? **

**Leave your answer in a review, which I really hope you leave, and I'll catch ya next week!**


	6. Will's Decision

**Chapter 5: Will's Decision**

* * *

**Juniper Labs, Storage**

* * *

Will let out a contented sigh and flopped down onto the small musty couch. After a long, emotionally toiling day, and a filling meal, Will and Cell were ready for good night's sleep and nothing else. The Greys had been invited to stay at Juniper's laboratory for the night instead of driving all the way back to nearby Accumula Town to rent a motel room. The building sported one guest room on its upper floors, which Rosaline and Cassie slept in with Will volunteering to sleep on an old couch in the lab's back room. It was frigidly cold and stank of dust but Will did not mind; those were the ideal sleeping conditions for a person who spent much of their lives up in northern Unova.

Minus the dust. It seemed that Minccino rarely ventured back that far into the lab.

After his chat with Juniper, Rosaline had taken Will and his sister out to a local restaurant where Will had ordered a cheeseburger and a very large dish of fries to contemplate the Professor's proposition over. It was commonplace for Will to think over stressful situations whilst eating food. Quite evidently from his skinny frame it was not that he had an eating disorder, but the young man was more at ease when he had a full belly.

Rosaline had noticed his somber demeanor during what was meant to be a happy occasion between a family and had otherwise let him be; normally she would have been prodding him to cheer up as mothers tend to do. But she could tell now that her son was not upset, rather, undecided. She decided to let him think.

And even now, a couple hours down the road, Will was thinking. He was deep, deep in thought.

"I just don't know, buddy," said Will, laying face-up with his hands behind his head on the couch.

Cell, who had been laying in a piled up blanket on the floor, looked up at his human counterpart. "Solo so?"

"This 'journey' business," clarified Will, "I…I want to go, but I feel like I'm not ready. You know?"

Cell nodded instantly; he and his Trainer rarely disagreed, but never in situations where Will could not make up his mind. As a Pokémon with exceptionally prominent psychic abilities and Will's Pokémon of ten years at that, he understood rather well what Will felt even if he didn't exactly understand his dilemma.

"Everyone else who went on their journey when it was time went through all that prep, but…I didn't."

It was mandatory for up-and-coming Trainers to attend a month long instructional course on the ways of the traveling Pokémon Trainer before being authorized by the League to receive their license. Will had attended that course and been certified, but…but that had been before his father left.

Needless to say, the journey never happened.

"So lo losis," urged Cell. _You're prepared! Remember all of that training we did together?_

"I know! I mean, we _did _the training, but…that was for the old me. A Will that doesn't exist anymore." Will let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm different now. Some advice I receive back then won't work for me now."

"Losis," Cell reminded him. _You've got me!_

Will chuckled. "I know, buddy. You wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"Lo solo!" he affirmed.

"And it's not just me anymore," thought Will aloud, his right hand drifting slowly to the pocket of his pajama pants. In it he had kept the Pokèdex given to him by Professor Juniper. Even in a place as secure as a laboratory in a town as quiet as Nuvema, he was not about to let such a valuable and coveted piece of tech out of his sight even for a second.

Will ran a hand down the slender edge of the Pokèdex, his fingers sliding down the smooth edges and rising over each button or bump. Once he reached the bottom, he reached back to the top and pressed the "On" button. His face was bathed in a green light as the Pokèdex's home screen displayed itself on the top of the two.

"Just look at this thing! To think that Juniper would entrust such a valuable piece of equipment to _me _of all people!" Will scrolled through the Pokèdex's index of Pokémon information which was comprised of an ascending and descending row of rectangular slots. According to a small tab at the bottom of the screen, two of seven hundred and eighteen. "There's so much more I have to learn! And look, I've already learned things about _you_ that I never knew before!"

Navigating to one of Will's two completed Pokèdex entries (the other being Snivy), he opened up one of Juniper's "hidden features" to an entire section comprised of every scientific discovery made about the Solosis species organized by date.

"Here: June 16th, 1997. Solosis are discovered to possess the ability to mate and reproduce telepathically. Who could have known that!?" exclaimed Will.

"Sis so…" mumbled Cell coyly as he turned away, not thrilled about his Trainer's "Fun-Fact" of choice.

"I learned more about two Pokémon in one day than I did in years of study," pondered Will, relaxing his arms to his sides and switching off the Pokèdex, "Just think about what I could learn about the other seven hundred and sixteen over the course of a few years…"

"So losis…" muttered Cell in awe. From the feathery finish of the Cell Pokémon's voice, Will could tell that his friend was growing tired.

The lab's back room was already ominous enough with company present to keep Will from feeling alone in the dismal setting. He decided that Cell drifting off would be his own signal for hitting the hay.

"Eh, I'll decide in the morning." Will yawned and folded his arms across his chest with the Pokèdex clamped underneath them. "G'night, buddy."

"Losiiis…" Cell nuzzled back into the clothed puddled of blankets to sleep.

Letting out one last yawn, Will pulled the old checkered blanket he had found on the couch up to his chest. There had initially been two blankets provided for his use, but one had been given to Cell for his bedding. Will could mind a bit of cold, but he could not let his best friend go without a spot to sleep.

And for the first time that night, the unruly cacophony of voices and his head were silent. For the first time in a _long time_, it seemed not only that Will made up his mind, but he was content with his choice.

Smiling, Will closed his eyes and flicked the Pokèdex off. The last remnants of light vanished from the room.

* * *

**Juniper Labs**

* * *

Cheren continued to tap his foot impatiently, as if _this_ particular Trainer could perform any stalled action in another manner. For the what seemed to be the millionth time in the span of a mere few minutes, he checked his watch, staring at the timepiece until the big hand rounded the clock again. Then he would irritably huff and let his arm drop to his side and continue the tapping.

Professor Juniper and Rosaline, the only other people in the room with Cheren, had nothing to say to calm the boy's nerve. As the three waited in the lab's central area where the three had received their Pokèdexes the other morning, they too were set slightly on edge by the amount of time Will was taking to emerge.

For today was the day that he would make his choice.

Rosaline and Juniper were particularly nervous, for they knew of Will's contradictory tendencies. When Will thought deeply about something, Rosaline told Juniper, whether it be the answer to a test question or something as trivial as whether or not he should eat an extra cookie after dinner, he tended to side with the negative after deep deliberation.

When he thought, when _anyone _thought, decision making came down to a shouting match between positives and negatives to see who can be the loudest. And in the long run, it always seemed that negativity had the strongest lungs.

Rosaline sat on the table where Juniper had put the starter Pokémon on display, her hands folded and staring into her lap. She desperately hoped her son would decide to go on his journey. The amount of deterioration she had seen in her Will, from a carefree youth to a melancholy teenager, had been too much for her. After all, she had already witnessed one child's dreams be put on hold by dumb luck and unfair circumstance.

Suddenly, footsteps began to clump down the stairs. All heads perked up like Watchogs on alert for a predator. Freshly showered and looking noticeably brighter, Will descended the stairs with Cell floating closely behind as always. While his skin and overall demeanor seemed to sing of a change in his attitude, his face betrayed no emotion nor decision.

But he gave not even a second for anyone to hold their breath. Evidently, Will was bad with suspense. Though he seemed to be rather adept at surprises.

"I'm going."

There was no cheer. There was no whoop of excitement from any present company. In fact, the loudest exclamation was a relieved sigh from the mouth of Cheren, who was only glad that he could finally leave now that Will had arrived.

No sound. No celebration. Just the statement sinking in.

Hearing soft footsteps behind her, Juniper stepped slowly to the side, beaming all the while.

_I'll let a mother do her work_, she thought contently to herself as Rosaline walked slowly by her and towards Will. She could see a tear or two glistening on the older woman's face.

Without any embarrassed resistance, Will allowed himself to be hugged. Cell backed off to allow the two to have their moment. Even Cheren (briefly) forestalled his impatience.

"I'm gonna make you proud, Mom," pledged Will, trying his hardest to hold back a few tears of his own.

"You already have," whispered Rosaline. Will couldn't help but let just one slide down his face after he heard that.

Rosaline slowly and difficulty pried herself from her son and returned immediately to Mothering-Mode. She discontentedly examined his clothing and shook her head.

"What?" demanded Will. Partly because he never knew what she was going to criticize him on, Will hated whenever his mother looked at him that way.

"You really expect to take on the world dressed like that?" chided his mother.

"She has a point," admitted Cheren from his vantage point across the room.

Will glared over his mother's shoulder. "Quiet, you. Why are you even here?"

"Professor Juniper requested that I came," answered Cheren nonchalantly, "Bianca too, but it's quite evident that she has yet to arrive. This whole time I've been waiting for you so I can fulfill the Professor's request and go."

"Wait, wouldn't you be waiting for Bianca, too?"

"I know she'll be here," he answered matter-of-factly, "It was your decision that still remained yet to be seen."

"Yeah, well-OW!"

Will had been preparing a witty retort to show Cheren up when his mother had curtly swatted him on the head. Not looking too amused herself, she pointed at his clothing. Up until then, the white T-shirt and weathered jeans had seemed fine to him. They were freshly washed…two days ago, that was. But it wasn't like he had run a marathon in them!

"What's the big deal, Mom?" demanded Will, tugging at the sides of his shirt, "It's clean!"

"Yes, but it isn't journey attire!" retorted Rosaline, folding her arms.

"Journey atti-oh, excuse me! I had no idea that there was a-OW!" Will rubbed the spat where he had been swatted yet again. "Fine then…" he grumbled, relenting, "What classifies as _journey attire_?"

"I'm glad you asked," responded Rosaline, a snide smile spreading across his face.

Rubbing his head, Will scowled; he hated when his mother was right.

Which was most of the time.

"Aurea, could you please get my bag?"

Professor Juniper nodded and headed back to the table where Rosaline had waited, retrieving one of Rosaline's old shoulder bags. Will recognized it as one she had purchased on a family trip to Vermillion City when he was eight years old.

But that was irrelevant. What was relevant was whatever the bag contained, which Will only dreaded to find out. As most mother's do, the clothing she envisioned her children in didn't always fit their fancy.

Juniper handed the bag to her colleague, who then handed it off to Will. "Change into these," she ordered, giving her son a gentle shove. "Go on. I promise you'll like them."

"I'm ecstatic…" he grumbled, retreating back up the stairs to the bathroom in which he had showered. Cell drifted to the side to unblock his path towards the stairs and then followed after his Trainer.

"Well, there he goes, Rosaline," said Aurea, looking almost as proudly as the child's mother and with good cause.

"Yup…" she mumbled wistfully, her voice a mixture of pride and remorse, "And one day, he'll go and he won't come back…"

Cheren rolled his eyes. "Let's hope he does. And soon. I want to leave…"

* * *

**Juniper Labs**

* * *

Once again it was Will's footsteps that alerted present company to his coming. Rosaline knew exactly what her son would look like in the clothes she had picked out yet she was excited nonetheless, and Juniper had yet to witness her friend's fashion sense herself and too was eager. Even Cheren looked up from his slouched position on the wall to get a look at Will.

"How do I look?"

Will tugged at the color of his new blue jacket. The jacket's fabrics were mostly of light blue, with a darker blue on the cuffs and around his shoulders; the pockets and zipper was laced with white. His new undershirt was black, a few shades darker though than the pair of long pants he wore in the place of jeans. The legs of his pants had been rather long and completely covered his feet, prompting him to tuck them into his red travel sneakers. From the way that they hugged his ankles, Will theorized that they had been designed to do so in order to shield against hazards such as water and snow. Completing the look was Will's personal favorite touch: the red and white cap sporting a black Pokèball logo on the front.

Rosaline let out a brief squeal of joy and cupper her hands over her mouth in awe of her work. Embarrassed, Will let out a groan and slouched over.

"Just kill me now…" he mumbled. Cell, snickering, drifted over to his shoulder.

"So solos!" _I was under the impression that you looked quite dapper!_

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks, buddy. I've always respected formless blobs for their fashion senses. The ladies will just be positively _fawning _over this look…"

"Oh, the _look _isn't complete." Rosaline crouched down and reached for something hidden behind her feet. Will dreaded an over-the-top, flamboyant addition to his new clothing, but was put at ease once he saw what it was. Slightly.

Rosaline handed him the straps of the blue satchel, the colors of which matched his jacket. Awed at the amount of gifts she was showering him with, Will looked into the eyes of his mother.

"Mom, I-I…I don't know what to-"

"Just open it up," she suggested, "See what's inside."

William obeyed his mother and opened the bag to study its contents. It was segmented into one main compartment with several others, ranging in size, scattered around the side. Others like them rimmed the bag's outside.

The contents of the bag seemed simple and concise, making sense for a journey which would involve long periods of outdoor travel when away from towns, where lodgings and food would be free for Trainers at a Pokémon Center. Inside the bag's main compartment were, of course, the necessities packed tightly together: a bedroll, a small waterproof tent, a book of matches, a flashlight, a rain poncho, a compass, two empty canteens, a first aid kit, and few other odds and ends he'd need for his travels.

One of the largest side compartments contained his spare clothing; four extra pairs of sox, another pair of pants and another shirt as well as his…other clothing.

"Wow, Mom," commented Will, awed. "You really thought ahead."

Rosaline giggled. "A mother knows best. Now, why not check the compartment at the bottom?"

Will knew the tone in her voice as she made the suggestion. It was the same tone she used during such suggestions as "Why not check at the back of the Christmas tree?" Whenever she used that tone, there was a pleasant surprise waiting.

Moving aside his camping equipment revealed no such compartment. Will brushed his hand along the bottom until he felt a lip in the waterproof felt. He gripped its edges and pulled it outward, ripping the two Velcro strands apart. He noted the compartment's strategic position in that it would be a very effective hiding place for valuables.

And valuables did it hide. What Will located first was the money, a fat stack of Unovan dollars rolled up and secured with a rubber band. His jaw dropped as he felt the weight of it all and looked up at his mother, stunned. Rosaline held up a hand to stop the refusal to accept from pouring out his mouth.

Even Cell, a creature to which money had no value, was awed. "So solo…" _That's a lot of dough…_

Will shoved the money towards his mother. "Mom, I-I…I can't accept this!"

"You can and you will." She humbly resisted his meekness and shoved the money back. "Your sisters and I have been putting change aside for a long time to make sure you had enough for a journey. We probably started before Cassie was even born."

Still shocked by the volume of the roll, Will placed it carefully back into the hidden flap of his bag. All in all it amounted to nothing substantial, but to a young man who came from a home where money was never overly plentiful, the significant amount would be sure to get him far on his journey.

"Now, keep in mind that it's a lot, but it won't last you forever, especially if you spend it willy-nilly. You'll have to spend and save diligently," cautioned his mother.

"Of course," responded Will.

He motioned to close the bag and zip it back up, but his mother stopped him again. And _still _she had that look on her face!

"There's _more_!?" exclaimed Will.

Rosaline nodded. "Check back in the secret compartment."

"This one's from me," chimed Juniper, wrapping her fingers back around her coffee mug.

Will reached his arm back inside the tab and let his hand explore a little more liberally. It passed over the wad of money, of course, and reached the edge of the hidden pocket before his fingers brushed again something hard and square.

He gripped his hand around it and found that the object itself was circular. Fishing it out, Will held it up to the light for a better view. He found himself holding a small blue watch.

"That's Cross-Transceiver," informed Professor Juniper, "Or Xtransceiver for short. And don't you give me any unpretentious excuse as to why you can't accept the gift, William. It didn't cost a cent for me. I ordered three for myself and the twins and they threw in this extra one. So, I just decided to give it to one of my new Trainers. And just as luck would have it…"

Will gave a wry grin. "Alright, I get it. You two are geniuses and your little conspiracy worked."

"Well, try on the Xtransceiver and see if _it_ works," suggested Rosaline.

Doing as his mother told, Will placed the bag down at his feet to free up his hands and try on the watch-like device. The loop was a little tight around his wrist, but Will soon found that he could adjust the strap to a tight yet more comfortable situation. He now switched it on, the screen flashing white before briefly displaying the manufacturer's logo. It then went to a main screen not too unlike that of a Pokègear or cell phone.

"You can make video calls to anyone else with an Xtransceiver, and up to four people can participate in a single call," Juniper exclaimed, moving over to Will to tamper with his Xtransceiver. She took his wrist and began to tap buttons into the device, "You already have my number, your mother's number and your older sister's number added into your call list. I'm adding Cheren and Bianca's for your right now. In the event of an emergency, you'll all be there for each other."

Will nodded as he let the Professor finish her work with his wrist. "Speaking of that, where's…"

"SOOOOOOOOOO-RRYYYYYYYY~"

Cheren shared a look with his Kantoan counterpart as the singsongy cry emanated from outside. "That answer your question?"

It sounded like footsteps were pounding up the sidewalk; Will could only suffer to guess who they belonged to. Just as he would have expected the door to swing open and Bianca to blow inside like a wild tempest, there was a loud _THUD_ and then silence.

"Oh, good heavens," muttered Rosaline, flinching.

"'Good heavens' indeed," Juniper moaned as she gently rubbed her forehead. Bianca;s being in her employ would certainly be a handful down the road…

Not a second passed after slamming headlong into the door before Bianca burst inside. There was a small pink welt on her forehead, probably the door's doing, but she didn't seem to mind.

The bruise, that was.

"Sorry I was late!" she stammered, frantically trying to stem the tide of items flowing out of her purse. Two empty Pokèballs dropped out of her bag and as she bent to pick them up, the pair of socks which had been draped over the bag's sides fell out as well. Every time Bianca turned to pick up something fallen from her bag, two other things would fall out.

Cheren facepalmed and moved to help his ditzy companion. "Bianca, do you even _understand _the concept of deadlines?" He eyed the bottle of skin lotion that had just dropped onto the floor and opened up, causing a mess. "Or organization?"

"Yup!" she answered quickly, "I understand: I would have been more organized if I had more time. Now, can we go?"

_Ten years knowing Cheren and _that _is what rubs off? _Thought Will, noting an urgency in her that he had yet to see. She was still as full of energy as yesterday, of that there was no doubt, but she seemed more antsy than excited. Her leg jittered like a Hitmonlee on a sugar high and her eyes flickered back and forth as if expecting a something to jump out and grab her at any second.

Bianca didn't _want_ to leave: it seemed she _needed _to.

Juniper clapped her hands together in delight. "Well, it seems that everyone is here now!"

"Finally…" muttered Cheren.

Juniper ignored him and made her way towards the door. "I requested that all three of you come here so that you could depart at the same time." She opened the door. "After all, it would have been unfair if one of you got a head start."

"Head start…" muttered Will, "Wait, head start for what? What exactly is the goal of this journey besides collecting data?"

"I'm going to take the Unova League Gym Challenge," said Cheren, shrugging. "Once I obtain eight badges, of course, I will then take on the Elite Four and assume the mantle of Champion."

Will found himself shocked somewhat to hear Cheren's overly ambitious goal. Just the other day his master strategies for winning a battle had been vanquished by a _gut feeling _on the part of Will and he was already thinking of taking on the Champion.

"Anything's possible, I suppose," reasoned Will.

"I'm gonna take the Gym Challenge, too!" exclaimed Bianca, pumping her fist in the air, "I can't let Cheren compete without any competition!"

"There will be _literally_ hundreds of other Trainers, Bianca. I doubt I'll run out of competition in any short amount of time."

"What you choose to do is up to you, as long as you confer with my wishes," clarified Juniper, "Since you are my assistants, after all. But a journey isn't about what you're _supposed_ to do. It's what you _want _to." She pushed the door open further, urging the children outside. "Now, come on. Let's get you kids started, eh?"

* * *

**Nuvema Town, Town Outskirts**

* * *

Counting Cassie, whom Rosaline had awakened before leaving, there were six of them standing at the edge of Nuvema Town and Route 1. A link between worlds. Directly before them was the beaten dirt path that stretched into the thick woods until it was out of sight.

Will knew that once a certain point into the forest was reached, he would have the option of venturing down multiple paths. This particular path was the only one wide enough to allow more than one lane of traffic to pass to and from Nuvema Town, and it was also the longest.

So it would lead him where he was going, but it would take him much longer than if he found his own way.

Professor Juniper had paused for a moment to take in the fresh midmorning air wafting from the forest. The smell of fresh dew on the grass and on the leaves of trees. Pinecones and budding spring flowers. It was the perfect atmosphere for a new Trainer to start their journey.

Cheren, on the other hand, did not share her sentiments. He impatiently fiddled with his glasses as he waited for the Professor to get her fill, his angst eventually boiling over.

"Professor, I've been very patient. May we finally go?"

Juniper pursed her lips, studying Cheren quizzically. "Well Cheren, I just thought it would be nice for all three of you to step onto Route 1 and officially begin your journey together. Wouldn't you agree?" She took a page out of Rosaline's book and added an expectant and motherly tone at the end as she began to tire of Cheren's impatience.

"I-I suppose it would make for a sentimental point…" muttered Cheren. The Professor's miniature guilt trip had forced him into an awkward position where it would have been rather improper and downright rude for him to have said anything else.

Bianca squealed with joy, ready to finally embark on her journey. "That's such a good idea, Professor! Let's all hold hands!"

Cheren rolled his eyes and reached for Bianca's hand, who was to his right. He had nearly lifted his left arm when he and Will realized simultaneously who was standing next to who. They shared a brief heated glare before Cheren spoke up.

"Bianca," he said without breaking eye contact, "Why not stand in the middle?"

"Novel idea," added Will, shuffling to the side while maintaining eye contact as well.

"Great idea!" she wholeheartedly agreed, skipping in between the two boys and alleviating the tension. She took Cheren's other hand and then Wills. Her hand was much smaller than his, in addition to being softer.

And increasingly cooler.

_Damn you, puberty! _Will cursed.

Cell drifted down towards his Trainer's shoulder, feeling a bit left out. "Solo so…"

"When you grow hands, buddy. I promise."

"So losis!"

"Alright, get ready!" said Rosaline, readying in camera. Will fidgeted as his cheeks turned even redder.

"Mom, why did you have to bring your camera!?"

Rosaline rolled her eyes. "Aw, come on. It's not that big a deal. Now hold Bianca's hand and take your first steps with your friends."

Will turned around and huffed, allowing his mother to ready her camera unhindered. Her fingers tingling with anticipation, Bianca began to move forward and the boys moved with her. Together, they took the first official steps of their journey. Will groaned as he heard the sound of his mother's camera snapping.

As soon as the picture had been taken, Cheren was gone. He released Bianca's hand and began to stroll casually into the forest, hands gripping the straps of his backpack. He called out his goodbyes as he walked away.

"Farewell, Professor. Thank you for the Pokèdex and the Snivy. I'll be in touch. Bianca, don't get yourself into any trouble. And Will?" Cheren actually turned around, his glasses seeming to flash with fire. "Stay sharp. I don't want your skills in battle to dull."

"Count on it," vowed Will. Next time, he promised himself, he'd beat Cheren without a single iota of doubt.

"Oh, oh, oh, I wanna get to Accumula Town first!" shouted Bianca, taking off after Cheren. "Byeeeee~! I'll see everyone later!"

She sped past Cheren and down the path. Cheren shook his head and continued his leisurely pace through Route 1. Along with Will and Professor Juniper, he knew that even with her seemingly infinite reserves of energy that Bianca would eventually have to slow down. But Will admired her drive; it would make their rivalry far more exciting.

"Well, we can't let them get too big of a head start on us, now can we?" Will asked Cell, adjusting the straps of his satchel.

"Solo sis!" _Let's show 'em who's boss!_

Will nodded at his companion's sentiment and began to take the second step of his journey. His leg wasn't halfway through the motion when his mother noisily cleared her throat. Will sheepishly turned around and grinned.

"Ehehe…bye?"

"No respect from kids these days," said Rosaline, shaking her head, "I raise you for sixteen years post bringing you into this world after going through hours of painstaking labor-"

"MOM!"

Rosaline giggled at her son's displeasure and waved her hand. He had suffered through enough embarrassment…for now. "Oh, would you stop being so stiff and give your mother a hug?"

Will obliged without any further coaxing. As the two enveloped each other in a warm embrace, Will felt a twinge of regret deep within his stomach. With his older sister working fulltime at the Pokèmart back in Icirrus City and his mother maintaining her own career, an added burden would be placed upon the family without him there.

"I'm gonna miss you," he breathed into her ear, keeping his voice low so that Cassie didn't hear the shakiness in his voice. His eyes were moist, but no tears fell down his face like last time.

"Don't," instructed Rosaline, holding her son by the shoulders and looking into his eyes, "Go on your adventure. Live your life and become what _you_ want to be. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. And even if you do want to chat, we're just an Xtransceiver call away!"

"Yeah!" shouted Cassie, "You'd b-better n-not…you'd better c-call, big b-brother…"

Will couldn't hide his grin at Cassie's attempts to be strong. In a way, he felt that even she was performing better than he had under this kind of anxiety. He dropped down onto one knee and wrapped her in a hug, letting her know that the tears could run freely. Cell backed off to give his Trainer and his family some space.

"I'll call every time I get a free minute, Cass. I promise." Will patted his sister on her tiny shoulder and got back to his feet. "You take care of Mommy for me, will ya?"

She sniffled, wiping a tear off of her tiny cheek. "O-okay…"

The Greys remained motionless for but a moment, staring at each other in complete silence with no clear conscience on what to do next. Suddenly, Rosaline shook her head and brushed a tear from under her eyeglasses.

"Oh, would you just go already?" she half chuckled, half whimpered, "You're going to make me cry again…"

"S-sorry…"

"Oh, Will! Before you go!" Juniper spoke up and moved towards the teen. She had remained relatively silent and out-of-the-way for the Greys to have their family moment before Will left. Smiling in a way that overshadowed the somber mood and brought light back to the fact of Will's departure, Juniper stopped in front of Will and reached into her pocket.

"I'm not hugging you too," he jested, causing Juniper to laugh.

"Not if you don't want to, but that's not why I've stopped you one last time." Juniper removed her hand from her pocket. Her hand was balled up in a fist, concealing something. "I need to ask of you one last favor."

"Do I have to snatch a pebble from your hand, Master?" chortled the snarky young boy, his head bobbing cockily to the side. Cell giggled, amused.

Juniper rolled her eyes. "Ha-ha," she said sarcastically. "You're just full of 'em today, aren't you?"

"I aim to entertain."

"Yes, indeed. But _I _was wondering if you could entertain this little guy for me." Juniper unraveled her slender fingers to reveal a Pokèball condensed into its smaller and more compact form. Those who did not use them scarcely knew this fact, but the small black rim around a Pokèball's central white button (the one that opened and closed the ball when pressed) was actually a dial that could shrink the Pokèball down to that compact size. Juniper reverted it to its original size with a slight tap of the center button and tossed it into the air. Out of it came a burst of what light, and from that emerged a familiar Pokémon on the ground.

"Oshawa!" exclaimed Oshawott, throwing his tiny arms up into the air. Cassie squealed, overwhelmed by the Sea Otter's cuteness. Due to their congruent sizes, the two would have made excellent playmates.

Will held his hands flat in a defensive gesture. "Professor, I told you that I can't accept this Pokémon." Oshawott slouched, demoralized by Will's modesty. The boy was put further on frantic defense. "I-I mean, I'm sure he's a great Pokémon, but I don't want to deprive some kid of their-"

"Between you and me?" Juniper whispered into Will's ear, leaning in close and checking on Oshawott to make sure he couldn't hear. "Oshawott has had some…trouble getting picked. He's a little too energetic for most starting Trainers, and his constant rocketing around and jumping the gun, so to speak, has given him a bit of a bad rep among new Trainers getting their Pokémon from me."

"Oh," said Will, beginning to understand what she meant.

"It would mean a lot to both me and Oshawott if you took him along. I mean, the more time he spends in that lab, the harder it's going to be for him to get chosen and the harder it's going to _be _on him. Give him a chance, Will."

Not only could Will refused a request from Professor Juniper, who he had come to see as prominent mentor figure in the span of but a day and a half, but neither could he deny the accompanying of such an adorable and misfortunate creature.

It had almost been as if Oshawott was listening in and urging Will along on Juniper's all-expenses paid guilt trip. His tiny white paws had folded over his scalchop and his ears drooped, his blue eyes glimmering like the break of dawn over the ocean. Will caved, but not with any problematic reluctance. A new addition to his team was a new addition.

On the other hand, Cell was not as prepared for his Dynamic Duo with Will to become a Dynamic Trio. He noticed his Trainer's indecision and scoffed.

"Solo solo," he said to Oshawott, sneering. _This one's taken, pal. Starter Pokémon: right here! Looks like you'll have to-_

"Alright, Oshawott. Welcome to the team!"

Cell's bubble rippled as his eyes exploded to the size of saucer places. What!? Had Will lost his mind!?

"S-solo!"

"Osha osha!" Oshawott could hardly contain his jubilance, jumping up and down and waving his scalchop over his head. The glorious and long-awaited day had finally come! He was leaving on a journey across the world with a new Trainer!

"Of course, you're gonna need a nickname…" Will said thoughtfully, scratching his chin and thinking back to what Juniper had informed him of the Water-Type. He knew nothing of Oshawott's actual personality himself, and so pulling a name out of thin air wouldn't hold any special meaning. So he thought back to Juniper's explanation, to how she had described his personality and why he had yet to be chosen.

"Hyper? No…Jumper? Nah, that's not it…" It suddenly came to him. Will snapped his fingers excitedly, recalling the noun from Juniper's vocabulary that had stuck out the most to him. "I've got it! How about 'Rocket?'"

"SHAWAAAA!" Oshawott, now officially dubbed 'Rocket' by his Trainer, let loose a primeval shout of joy. As well ass a gusher of water from his mouth directly into Will's face. Will lingered in that position for a moment in stunned silence.

Juniper gulped and tried to hide her sweatdrop. Oshawott, er, _Rocket _was going to be a tough Pokémon to train. And she knew that Will would have a thicker skin than most starting Trainers and at least give him a better chance…at least, she _hoped._

"I forgot to warn you…" she gulped, tentatively holding out the Pokèball for Will to take, "…that Rocket tends to do that when he's excited…"

Cell rolled his eyes. "So solos…" _Oh, joyous day…_

"No, no, that's alright," assured Will, taking the ball with one hand and wiping off some water with the other, "I'd probably do the same in his position.

"Well, if you leave now, you'll probably be able to make it most of the way to Accumula Town before nightfall," relented Rosaline. At the surface, she wanted to keep her boy with her as long as she possibly could. Deep down however, she knew that he'd have to go sometime. She'd need to address this like a bandage: rip it off quickly.

Will nodded. "Right…right, good point."

He shook his head in search of the words he needed to express the ramping beat of his heart, now that he was free to go wherever he pleased. It seemed almost like too much freedom to handle at once, but like his mother he knew that he'd get used to it after he took the plunge. And best to do it quickly.

Will felt a pair of small arms wrap around his legs. Cassie was giving him one final sisterly hug, and before he could remiss into a guilty state of wanting to stay, she let go. Despite her tremendous strength on show, a few dears still trickled down her face.

"B-be good, b-big brother…"

"Promise," he croaked, cracking a weak smile.

He then nodded at his mother. Rosaline nodded back, feeling the shared sentiment between her son and her. More hugs or tears would just set the cycle on repeat, they both knew.

"I'll see you soon," vowed Rosaline

"Count on it."

Juniper silently approached Will and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. The display between brother, sister and mother had nearly brought tears to her own eyes. Coupled with the melting pot of emotions that was leaving on a journey for the first time, with which she was familiar, Juniper herself would need to be a much colder person than she was not to feel anything from it.

"I think you've said all of your goodbyes," admitted Juniper, trying to give Will a verbal nudge in the other direction to pry him away from his family. She cocked an eyebrow as he turned to her. "After all, if Cheren beats you to Accumula Town, you'll _never _hear the end of it."

Will snickered. "Good point, Professor. I should probably get a move-on." He looked down at his Pokémon. "What do ya say, guys? Ready to get outta Dodge?"

"Oshawa!" declared Rocket in his eternally-elated demeanor.

"So solo…" mumbled Cell, who was already essentially moving in the opposite direction. He had been ready to go since the start, and while leaving the company of such familiar figures of the Greys was a letdown, having a new unwilling traveling companion proved to be even more so.

"Alright…well, be seein' ya!" Through tremendous effort, Will managed to get his feet moving down the path and away from his family. He kept his body facing them, waving all the while. He wouldn't turn away until the last moment.

Equally reluctantly, Rosaline beamed back at her son and waved as well. This action proved to be just as difficult as Will's in practice. It was almost the reverse of what he was doing; while Will walked away, Rosaline bid him farewell. The gesture was essentially approving his departure from home. It was letting him go.

And deep down, she knew it was the right decision.

"Remember to brush your teeth, honey," cried Rosaline as Will began to move farther and farther away. Mushy emotions had been exhausted, and now motherly advice was now all that remained for Rosaline to say. "Shower every day when you have access! Wash your clothes and remember to every day change into a fresh pair of-"

"MOM!"

Rosaline giggled. "Just take care, sweetie."

"Got it! And make sure you check the news tomorrow, Mom! I'll probably be Champion by then!" And with that, Will turned and began to trot excitedly away from his family and Juniper, with Cell zipping along after him and Rocket pumping his tiny legs to try and catch up.

His mother's eventual relaxation at their farewell had eased Will's qualms about leaving her. A weight had been lifted off his shoulders; even now, he could feel it slowly disappearing into the space around him. For the first time in a long time, he felt light and unbound.

For the first time in a long time, he was free.

Confidence and bravado, the worth of years and years of being pent up, was released into his veins and it quickly coursed through him. Will's trot steadily became a run through Route 1. For the moment, he forgot the breathing conditioning he had learned in his years on the school track and field team. He was lost in the moment and could breathe in nothing but pure elation.

"C'mon, guys!" shouted Will, speeding up even faster, "My badge case is feeling awful empty! Let's go change that!"

"Solo so solos!" _You had me at 'badge'! _

Rocket, beginning to lag behind, stumbled and narrowly regained his balance. "O-osha!" Osha wa!" _C-can we slow down a bit, please!_

At his new pace, it didn't take much longer for Will to disappear from Rosaline's sight. As Rosaline smiled down at the path as if her son were still there, the old saying of "If you love something, set it free" came to mind.

Will was free now. He no longer had to worry about things he had previously been burdened by, things that a sixteen year-old shouldn't have had on their plate. Will was living his own adventures, and that's the way it should be in Rosaline's opinion.

"C'mon, dear," she said, taking Cassie's hand and leading her away, "Let's see about getting you some lunch."

"Rosaline, if you don't mind me saying," began Juniper, tagging along, "That went a bit more smoothly than with the parents of Trainers I've sent off in the past. And Will has been somewhat of a…special case, right? So how was it so easy?"

Rosaline looked over her shoulder. "Well, don't forget I've already seen off one of my children on their journey."

"Very true," Juniper acknowledged with a nod.

"And one day, me too!" squeaked Cassie. Rosaline and Juniper shared a brief bark of laughter.

"One step at a time, young lady," urged Rosaline, "First, let's worry about lunch."

For about the millionth time that morning, Juniper found herself taken aback by the resolve and devotion that a mother could have to her children. But that still didn't satisfy her scientific desire for answers.

"Rose, you still haven't answered my question."

Rosaline stopped this time, looking into Aurea's eyes in a manner that was both as sincere, sweet and stern as could be at the same time. "If you love something, Aurea, you let it go. If it's yours, it will come back to you." Making her grip on her daughter's hand more firm, Rosaline continued walking. "You'll understand when you have kids one day, Aurea."

"O-one step at a time, Rose!" stammered Juniper, the suddenness of Rosaline's guarantee literally staggering her and nearly making her fall.

Once again, Rosaline laughed. But this time, Cassie joined in as well.

* * *

**And so Will has finally embarked on his journey, with both Cell and his new teammate Rocket by his side! What dangers will he encounter along the way? **

**Stay tuned for next week's chapter: _Chapter 6: Rookie Mistakes!_**

**As for Will's outfit, it's basically just Hilbert/Black's outfit from BW. Of course, his appearance is different, but I felt it would be right to give him the hero's clothes, and I kinda liked that outfit myself. **

**Time for Reader Question...time. Quite simply put, which region is your favorite? Side games count, so accept Orre, Almia, Fiorre, or Oblivia are completely acceptable answers!**

**Reviews are appreciated, so why not take a minute or two to tell me how I'm doing? **


	7. Rookie Mistakes

**Chapter 6: Rookie Mistakes**

* * *

**Unova, Route 1**

* * *

Will let his pumping legs come to a much welcome stop after his lengthy run, verily coming to a stop much further down the path than from where he had started. His mother, his sister, the Professor, the entirety of his starting point in Nuvema town, were all far behind him now.

After checking his Xtransceiver, Will made the estimation that he had been running for near an hour at his even pace. Being able to run vast distances like he could was something that Will considered to be almost a necessary skill for all Trainers to have, but he knew that most Trainers nowadays would sadly lack peak physical skills.

Not that he was a track star or anything. Will had participated in the sport for a time when he had been in school and a little after his graduation, allowing himself to build up a good endurance and a healthy cardiac strength. However, he had not been actively participating in the sport since a good three or more years ago, and so he found the distance he was capable of covering before he tired out significantly decreased.

Will had initially been attracted to running for sport due to his desire to participate in a team setting back in school, but the boy soon found that he lacked the physical prowess to practice most outdoor sports. His arms were too weak to swing a bat and his depth perception was terrible, making baseball a bad choice. Due also in part to his faulty aim and bad judgment of distance, sports such as soccer and lacrosse were made all but negligible.

And football? Forget about it. Will competing against actual athletes in a game of football would be like a Vanillite playing a locomotive in a game of Torchic.

On the side of the path, Will located a windswept pine stump with a flat-cut top and seated himself atop it. He brought his bag over onto his lap and removed one of his canteens from it, taking a gulp of cold water and screwing the top back on before his greed for another swig made him waste more.

He heard muffled panting coming up the path in the direction he had come and looked expectantly in the direction. Coming up towards him was Cell, who looked just about as drained as his Trainer did.

While Solosis did not actually have legs to move or muscles to move them with to embark on motions such as running, they did in fact move and all movement required energy. The anti-gravitational fields projected by Solosis required just as much energy as running did in a human and could be adjusted as such. The more intensity with which a Solosis projected its fields to go faster, the more energy it would consume and the faster it'd do so.

"Stay in the sunlight," recommended Will as his Pokémon came to a stop in front of him. Since Cell had no need for hydration and only needed straightforward energy and nutrients to survive, the only way Cell could rejuvenate himself was to absorb more solar energy.

"Solo…" agreed Cell easily, backing out of the shade of the tress and relaxing in the light.

"Was Rocket behind you?" asked Will. He had entrusted Cell to keep an eye on the Oshawott during their jog to assure that the tiny mammal didn't lag behind too far.

"So…losis…" mumbled Cell, uncaring.

"Cell…where is he?" Will cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward. He wasn't totally oblivious to the goings-on with his Pokémon; he was well aware of Cell's distrust of Rocket. It wasn't (no pun intended) rocket science to determine that much.

Will himself knew what it felt like to be jealous or even envious of a new addition being added to a unit. He had been through the birth of his baby sister after all and the subsequent shift in attention from his mother and sister to the new baby. He had been jealous at first, but he eventually came to terms with her and accepted things for what they were.

Just as Cell would have to do. Will would be doing his best to ease Rocket, and any new Pokémon he caught, into his team, but he would never play favorites. They were a family, after all.

Now only a minute or two after Cell had caught up, Will heard a slighter and more ragged panting as an extremely weary Rocket came stumbling up the path. His walk was stumbling and staggering, clueing Will into the fact that one of the areas he'd have to address when training his new Pokémon was endurance.

Will stood up and moved to intercept Rocket, scooping the Sea Otter up into his arms and returning back to his stump. He could almost feel the envied glare that Cell sent his way bearing into his back as he sat back down and removed his canteen.

"Drink up, pal," Will said as he titled the canteen over Rocket's mouth, "You did a lot of running. I'll try not to get so carried away further down the road."

"Oshaaa…" moaned Rocket in agreement. Will was a bit more generous with the water he allotted to Rocket than to himself, seeing as the tiny creature was physically much weaker than he.

"Better?" he asked as Rocket finished swallowing his water.

"Osha osha!" Brandishing his scalchop, Rocket leapt out of his Trainers lap and stood proudly on the ground before him. He looked and acted completely rejuvenated, as if he were Popeye the Sailor who had just consumed a can of spinach.

Will chuckled and relaxed on the stump. "Now that I think of it, Rocket probably was a really good name for you. It may be in short bursts, but you've got some out-of-this-world energy when you want to, little guy."

"So solos…" muttered Cell, rolling his eyes. _How much is too much...?_

"That reminds me…" Will sat up and reached into his pocket, pulling out his Pokèdex. He pointed the onyx colored device at his new Pokémon as if he were taking a picture and switched it on.

**Oshawott, **hummed his Pokèdex, **The Sea Otter Pokémon. Oshawott are most often found in coastal areas and rivers that link to oceans due to their preference of salt water over fresh water. This is due in parts: Oshawotts' preferred foods are found mainly in the oceans, as are the scalchops that they wear on their bellies. Oshawott are not born with a scalchop and must find their own in order to find food and even to be accepted by groups of Oshawott. Discipline and maturity are two key factors of an Oshawott's evolution; like humans, they mentally mature at different rates, some fast and some slow, triggering their evolution into Dewott. This Oshawott is male and an estimated two years of age. It possesses the ability Torrent and can use the moves Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun and Razor Shell.**

"Razor Shell? Isn't that a higher level move for an Oshawott to learn?" mused Will aloud.

He quickly remembered what Juniper had said about Oshawott's trouble with attracting the attention of new Trainers. Coupled with the fact he had just learned about Oshawott's species being big on sword techniques and discipline, it made sense that Oshawott learned a higher level move by itself.

"Osha wott!" affirmed Rocket, wearing Will's remark like a badge of pride.

Still, Cell wasn't very impressed. "Solo so…" _New Pokémon are always so full of themselves…_

His Trainer cocked an eyebrow. A sly grin and an even slyer idea were slowly formulating on and in him.

"Is that so, Cell? Hey, Rocket! Why not show Cell your Razor Shell attack? Maybe then he'll see how strong you are."

"Osha!" Rocket excitedly declared, misinterpreting what Will had actually meant amidst his elation at recognition. So much attention in so little time was proving both good and bad for the little guy.

Will realized the fatality of his mistake but a second after it became irreversible.

Filled with excitement and gusto, Rocket thrust his scalchop into his paw and began his Razor Shell attack. Rocket's tiny shell charged full of crackling blue energy and extended to three times its original length. Brandishing the now lethal weapon over his tiny head, Rocket let out a battle cry and leapt at Cell.

"Rocket, no!" cried Will, shooting from his seat.

But it was too late for either him or Cell to react. Just as the other Pokémon was coming to terms with the developing situation, it hit him. Quite literally.

For such a small Pokémon, Rocket's attack packed quite the punch. It raked across Cell's protective cytoplasm and sent him careening backwards into a tree. Luck for him that he had his protective layer, else the accident might have caused even more damage.

Yes, Cell was fine. But no, unfortunately, he was not very forgiving or understanding.

Cell recovered from the blow and righted himself, glaring hatefully at Rocket, who was rather distracted by his own satisfaction.

"So solos!" shrieked Cell. _You little Rattata! What's wrong with you!?_

"Oshawa?" responded Rocket, tilting his head in confusion. _Huh? Did I do it wrong?_

"Losiiiis!" _Oh, you did **something **wrong, I'll tell you that much!_

Cell maintained his heated glare at Rocket for another long moment. Will almost feared for a second that he would take some form of repercussive action against the naïve Rocket. No matter how well trained he thought Cell was, however, he wasn't about to take any chance that one of his Pokémon could be hurt.

While he could stop it, that is.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," cautioned Will, stepping in between the two. He faced Cell, knowing that no trouble would come from Rocket. The Oshawott was more confused than he was involved.

Cell was stunned in disbelief. "Solos! So solo!" he protested.

"It wasn't his fault, Cell," said Will, trying to calm Cell down.

"Loooo!"

"Cell! Listen to me!" Will looked deep into his partner's eyes, silently pleading for him to listen. "Rocket isn't as experienced as you. He's not as smart and he doesn't know any better. Juniper said he'd been cooped up in that lab for almost an entire year! How would you have felt if you were turned down by new Trainers that long?"

"So los…" mumbled Cell submissively. He had heard Will's mother give speeches such as these to her children plentifully in the past. Cell knew when he was getting guilt tripped, but he also knew when his Trainer was serious about something. He respected Will too much to just shrug Will off in situations like these. And that respect went both ways.

Will clapped Cell on the head. "Just give him a chance to learn. He'll get better, I promise." Smiling, Will turned away to retrieve his bag from the stump. "I think we've had enough rest now…or maybe too much…regardless, I think it's time we moved on. What do you guys think?"

"Osha osha!" shouted Rocket, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Cell simply rolled his eyes and drifted closer to Will. After the fiasco that had just ensued, perhaps making them even more tense than before the rest period had begun, Will was going to count Cell's current level of cooperation as a win and just roll with it.

"Alright, that's a 'Yes' vote from everyone!" said Will, shouldering his bag, "Let's go!"

With that, Will made his way back onto the dirt path and began walking. Not running this time. The dreamlike reality of being free to go wherever he pleased had now fully sunken in. It seemed that it was now much more "reality" than it was "dream."

_Don't have to treat it like it'll be over and gone the next time I blink my eyes, _reasoned Will, _But that doesn't mean it won't be over fast. Best go slow and enjoy it…while beating Cheren, of course…_

Will increased his pace only slightly, to a point where one might consider it just peaking a casual pace. Rocket merrily marched behind him, his tiny legs now able to keep perfect pace with Will.

Cell, however, lagged behind a bit. Tired, he was not, but wary. He studied Rocket from behind, where neither the Oshawott nor the human could notice whilst drifting along behind them.

_What kind of trouble are you going to get us into? _Cell pessimistically wondered.

He had yet to become familiar with the problem, but that day's events thus far had given him a clear idea on several solutions.

…

There were two of them. A duo of Patrats had ventured farther from the burrows than normal on that warm spring day in search of the food that would feed their colony for the next few days. Spring had returned to Unova, which also meant Unova's migratory species would be returning to their homes to enjoy the warm weather.

To the Patrats, this translated to the return of a rather unsavory neighbor. A loathsome Tranquil would be returning to her nest sometime soon, which was located just above the Patrats' den. While Patrat was not included on the diets of such Pokémon, this particular Trainquil rather enjoyed harassing its furry neighbors and sometimes stealing the berries and nuts that they attempted to scavenge from trees and bushes near their home.

It didn't even eat those either. She acted in this vicious manner for one simple reason: because she could.

While they knew that she would be returning soon, the Patrat did not know when. And they surely did not want to be on their way home when she did arrive. Patrat, as a rule, hated surprises.

So they had strayed farther than usual to collect food on that day, eventually stumbling upon a small grove containing a low-hanging Pecha Berry tree. They hoped that remaining away from their home while out would deter the Tranquil from sighting them on its way back, which would allow them to make a stealthy return home with a bounty of berries stored within their cheek pouches.

For now, they knew they were safe from any eyes in the skies. However, they were blissfully unaware of the three pairs that scrutinized them on the ground.

Will could hardly contain his excitement. Here he was on the precipice of capturing his very first Pokémon. The sensation was so overwhelming to him, he had nearly disturbed the bush behind which he hid several times, which would have alerted his prey.

"See those Patrats?" Will asked in a shrill whisper. He removed an empty Pokèball from his bag and showed it to Cell and Rocket, who were hidden alongside him, "We're gonna catch 'em!"

"Osha osha!" exclaimed Rocket.

"Shhhhh!" hissed Will, clamping his hands over Rocket's mouth.

Cell rolled his eyes. _Amateur…_

"Alright, before we make any hasty decisions…" Will pulled out his Pokèdex and pointed it at the closest Patrat. He pressed its side button with one finger, and urgently turned down the encyclopedia's volume with another.

**Patrat, **hummed the Pokèdex, much quieter than usual, **The Scout Pokémon. The lives of Patrat and their evolutionary counterparts, Watchog, are completely centered around obedience and discipline. When the first official Pokémon Encyclopedia was created in 1735 (named _Systema Naturae _by its publisher) scientists argued over awarding the name of the "Discipline Pokémon" to either Patrat or Dewott. If ordered to do so by an elder of their colony, Patrat will stand watch for days without food or water. It can communicate to other members of its colony with slight noises, movements, or even light signals when they evolve. During the Unovan Revolutionary War, colonial rebels learned from and organized their military doctrine after being inspired by watching Patrat. Their commands, their scouting strategies, even down to their salute, the rebels managed to turn an undisciplined militia into a fighting force to be reckoned with. This newfound discipline gave them the strength and coordination to eventually drive away their Kalosian oppressors away. This Patrat is male and is an estimated four years of age. It possesses the ability Run Away and can use the moves Tackle, Leer and Sand Attack.**

Will licked his lips in anticipation as he deposited the Pokèdex back into his pocket. Juniper would be pleasantly surprised when she found out that he had caught another Pokémon mere hours into his journey.

"You're up, Rocket. Show me what you've got." Will scratched his chin and studied the Patrat further. Patrat were quick little creatures and these two stood a distance from where Rocket was. A ranged attack like Water Gun would be best. "How about we try a Wa-"

"Shawa!" Letting loose a mighty war cry and brandishing his scalchop, Rocket shot forth towards his enemies. Apparently he had taken the meaning of Will's command to immediately launch into what he interpreted as his best attack.

A.K.A the only one Will had yet to have demonstrated directly to him, thus leading Rocket's small mind to associate that fact with showing Will "what he's got."

Will's hand shot out as if to stop Rocket. "Rocket, wait! I said to use-"

But it was too late. Rocket was already well on his way to the duo of Patrats, whose ears pricked up and heads swiveled around in awareness of Rocket's attack. However, in actuality they had been well aware the entire time of Will and his two Pokémon. They had simply been paying them no mind. Trainers very often passed through the forest with their Pokémon to train or capture and most often would pay no mind to a Patrat or two.

But it seemed that this particular Trainer was rather dead-set on acquiring one or both of them. And he didn't seem to be going about it in a stealthy or overall smooth manor. The Patrats came up with four possibilities on why they, a species known for the alertness and speed in escaping, had been attacked head on.

Either A) The Trainer was new. B) He was an idiot. C) The Oshawott was new. Or D) The Oshawott was an idiot. And any of the four criteria could be intermixed with one another.

"Osha wott!" cried Rocket in his state of ignorant triumph, raising his shell high in the air to strike at the Patrats, neither of which were the slightest bit intimidated.

"So solos…" mumbled Cell, desperately wishing that he had hands to facepalm with.

Rocket brought his shell down in a slicing motion directed at the foremost Patrat. Despite millions of years of evolution and genetic malleability drilling into his species on how to avoid predators (or other attackers) and stay alive gave him the perfect evasive maneuvers for the situation, all the Patrat had to do to avoid Rocket was step aside.

The Razor Shell attack slammed into the ground and became lodged in the dirt. Rocket gave it a quick pull, but found it was stubbornly sheathed in the earth. Another mighty tug did nothing for him, as did the next.

Sheepishly turning to the two Patrat, Rocket chuckled nervously and rubbed his head. "Wott osha oshawott…" _Sorry for the delay, fellas…my shell seems to be a little stuck at the moment…Can I have a minute, please?_

Very unamused, the two Patrat exchanged glances and came to a unanimous agreement in one bout of eye contact.

The two slammed suddenly into the still vulnerable Rocket with their Tackle attacks, sending him tumbling back, further away from his shell. Will was able to stand no more of watching his Pokémon helplessly struggled and burst out of the bushes in full run, Cell following behind.

"Hey, that's enough!" he yelled at the Patrat, "Leave him alone!"

The two Patrat exchanged eye contact again. The Oshawott may have been foolhardy enough to play around with and avoid caution, but a six-foot-tall human being could not be ignored as a potential threat. Both Patrats made haste in scurrying out of the clearing with designs to forage for food elsewhere.

They made their escape at the other end of the clearing, past where Rocket lay, but not before the one whom Rocket had tried to attack paused to flick a clump of dirt into Rocket's face with his tail. Rocket coughed as the dirt stung his eyes and entered his mouth. Pleased with himself, the Patrat chittered to his companion in amusement and scurried into the bushes just as Will and Cell arrived at where Rocket lay.

"Rocket, you didn't listen to my command," chided Will, dropping to one knee and reaching into the medicine pouch of his bag.

"Solo sos…" _To be fair, you didn't get the whole command out…_Cell loved to remind Will of his mistakes. Of course, the intent was to joke with his Trainer and to assure that Will learned from his mistakes.

Humans made the things all the time, after all. Without a levelheaded Pokémon like Cell by each of their sides, who could trust them to make decisions at all?

"Wooott…" moaned Rocket, spitting out the dirt that had ended up in his mouth.

Will smiled ironically as he produced a potion, one of three that he had on hand, from his bag. He turned Rocket over and found the wounded area that had resulted from the dual attack of the Patrats. It was nothing more than a medium sized bruise puffing out of Rocket's turquois fur, but no injury would be too small for Will to ignore on his Pokémon, especially so far from a Pokémon Center.

"Just be more careful next time," cautioned Will as he spritzed the healing solution on Rocket's wound, "I'm sure the next battle will go better."

…

**Seventeen minutes later…**

**Lillipup, the Puppy Pokémon, **Will's Pokèdex informed him as he pointed it at the trio of adorable Pokémon frolicking in the golden grassy meadow he had stumbled upon further into the forest, **Records from early Unovan civilization suggest that Lillipups were not domesticated until the early Classical Era, unlike many other canine species around the world which were valued for their loyalty and skills as hunting aides. Lillipups are still as loyal as any Growlithe or Houndour but are far weaker and not as good at hunting, though still very viable. Instead, they were valued for their adorable and lovable natures and accepted mostly as pets. They are very easy to train, accepting most any human that gives them a command to be a superior. Most domestic Lillipups bond to one human as their master and thus stand by and defend that human for their entire lives. For this reason many Unovan children are presented with Lillipups as their first Pokémon. This Lillipup is female and an estimated three years of age. It possess the ability Vital Spirit and can use the moves Growl and Tackle.**

Will, crouched behind the tall grass with Cell and Rocket, turned once again to his newest Pokémon and patted the smaller creature on the back. "This fight looks a bit more doable than the last one. An easy little scrimmage to ease you into things. Think you can do it?"

"Osha osha!" Will hadn't expected any sort of different answer; it seemed that hell nor high water could douse the spirits of the fiery Water-Type.

"That's what I like to hear," said Will encouragingly, patting Rocket on the back. "Ready?"

"Osha!"

Cell tapped his Trainer on the back with his round body. He was concerned at this point, and don't get him wrong; it was for his Trainer's sake, not Rocket's. He couldn't possibly care less about the little blue rodent.

From years of experience he knew that Will did not deal well with continuous failures. And that didn't look too far off with what Rocket was accomplishing. Or providing a lack thereof.

"Losis so…" Cell said tentatively. _You're _sure _you don't want me to do it?_

"Cell, Cell, relax! We have to let Rocket get the hang of battling wild Pokémon if we ever want to catch any. And wouldn't you know it, we do! What you see as a waste I see as a marvelous opportunity to profit twofold from this experience!"

Cell rolled his eyes and said nothing more. He drifted back to give his Trainer more space to unveil his master plan. What Will had just described as an opportunity for both Pokémon and Trainer to gain experience, Cell had interpreted as the explanation of a scheme.

"We want to be sure that we can land some hits this time around…" reasoned Will as he planned his approach. Unlike last time, the Pokémon seemed to be too busy to notice him or his Pokémon. "I say we start off with a good dose of Tail Whi-"

Before Will could finish his thought, Rocket had already whipped his scalchop off of his chest and extended it to its full length and charged straight at the Lillipup with his Razor Shell attack. Cell rolled his eyes.

_Here we go again…_

Both unfortunately and ironically, Will was thinking the exact same thing.

The battle with the Lillipup didn't go much differently than it had with the Patrat. Rocket completely forwent any subversion or tactic and charge straightaway at his targets with his attack clearly broadcasted. He might as well have been holding a sign that said, "I'm going to try to slash you horizontally with this Razor Shell! Look out!"

Lillipup might have been innocent and playful Pokémon, but they were extremely cautious in the face of a strange new presence that could even be perceived as a threat. As Rocket drew nearer, all three lowered down onto the forelegs with their posteriors pointed in the air and bared their fangs, looking as fearsome as possible. Then all at once they began to yip and growl.

Caught off guard by the sudden cacophony of barking, Rocket lowered his shell and stumbled. The small pack's leader, which was several times stronger and more experienced than the specimen that Will had identified, leapt forward whilst bearing its fangs.

With his scalchop held loosely out to the side, Rocket could defend against no attacks coming from the other direction. Lillipup was given the perfect opportunity to sink its small yet sharp teeth into Rocket's side and inflict a nasty amount of damage to the starter.

Once again, Will found himself running to Rocket's rescue. Preoccupied with its Bite attack, the Lillipup attacking Rocket could not hear or smell Will coming. But his two companions gave him ample warning of the approaching human and he heeded them, releasing Rocket from his teeth and knocking him to the ground with a quick Tackle before retreating into the brush with his two companions.

Will already had a potion in his hand as he knelt down by Rocket's side and picked the haphazard Oshawott up. "I know it would be wrong for me to fault you again," he said as evenly as he could, trying to hide the frustration he had with his new Pokémon, "Once again, I didn't give you the full order. But to be fair, you didn't stick around to hear it…" Will finished tending to Rocket's newest wound and tucked the potion away, standing and clapping the dirt off of his hands. "But that's behind us now, right? I'm sure the next one will go better."

…

**Four and a half minutes later…**

**Pidove, the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. For generations before the-**

"Woooooott!" Rocket was flung backwards by the Pidove's Wing attack, skidding to a stop just in front of Will's feet. His scalchop clattered off of a rock and into the grass not too far away. The Pidove turned around and flew away.

"Oh, come on!" Will disgruntledly shouted, dropping the Pokèdex into the soft grass as it continued to prattle on about the origins of Pidove's city-dwelling instincts. "You didn't even let it finish that time!"

"Osha wooott…" Rocket deliriously moaned, his head still spinning. _What time is it? Is it dinner time…_

Once again Will pulled the potion out of his bag before reaching Rocket, but this time his hands were clenched much more furiously around it. He promptly picked Rocket up upon reaching him and plopped him on his posterior, spraying the afflicted area and curtly standing back up.

"Rocket, allow me to make myself perfectly clear," Will sternly declared, cowering over Rocket with his arms crossed, "I am your Trainer. You are my Pokémon. I like to think of us as equals, you and I. There's time to fool around and there's time to improvise, but frankly I don't marry those two occasions when I'm telling you what to do. I'm head-honcho here, and while I don't want any of you to be afraid to make suggestions and work with me, I'm in charge. That's CEO, head-honcho, ipso-facto, case-o closed-o. Got it?"

Feeling completely naked and defenseless without his shell, aside from completely overshadowed, Rocket could do nothing but meekly nod.

Will sighed, the heavy weight lifted off of his chest. He turned to retrieve his Pokèdex somewhere in the grass behind him.

"Glad we've gotten that out of the way," he mumbled in relief. He had not at all intended to be harsh or demeaning towards Rocket. He was only asserting himself as the alpha of the group, something every teacher and instructional video he had ever watched or listened two had instructed him to do. Pokémon would not listen to a Trainer without respect, which could only be obtained through speaking one's mind. A Pokémon would need to know a Trainer's honest platform before making any lasting judgments about them.

Of course it would be different for others along the way, this he knew from training Cell, but Will hoped a firm yet respectful reminder would be all that Rocket needed.

He spotted his Pokèdex in the grass and bent down to pick it up. "I'm glad we've reached an understanding, then," he said to his Pokémon, "Let's move on, team. That was my last potion though, so until we buy more we should-"

"Doooove!" Will heard the familiar warble of a Pidove nearby. Perhaps the very same one he had just seen, but he could not tell on account of him being turned around.

"Oshawah!" He then heard the telltale _snap-hiss_ of Rocket's Razor Shell attack activating followed by the patter of his little feet through the grass.

"OH, COME ON!"

Cell was very pleased with himself at that given moment.

…

"Come on, baby, come on…"

On his hands and knees and crouching low to the ground, Will let out another gentle puff on the smoldering teepee of twigs he had made in the center of his campsite. So far he had followed every instruction on building a fire to the letter; he found a dry spot in the center of a clearing, dug a put, surrounded it with stones and then assembled the kindling in its triangular shape to prepare for ignition.

The main problem being that it was spring and almost everything was wet from seasonal rain. "April showers bring May flowers" or so they said.

Well, it was only March and Will was allergic to most types of local flowers anyway, so that did nothing for him. All it _did _do was make firewood harder to find. Between himself, Cell and Rocket, they had only been able to come up with a few dry twigs. Will then improvised with some dried grasses and leaves to feed the flames, for without fuel an entire book of matches was completely useless save for kindling itself.

He had already wasted four matches and was on the verge of becoming too frustrated to continue at a rational pace. Every time he desired to let out a might puff and just get it all over with, he quickly managed to remind himself that the tiny flames that was being born in the fire pit would be extinguished in a second if he did that.

"C'mon already…" Will sat up cross-legged and stared angrily at the tiny fire as if to set it ablaze with his mind, "Why won't you start?"

Cell, relaxing by Will's small tent with his open can of Pokémon food, decided to chime in. "So losis so?" _Maybe you're doing it wrong?_

Will rolled his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Fire Expert," he said sarcastically over his shoulder, "Maybe you could give me a few tips! Show me how to do it correctly. You know, like a _hands _on demonstration."

"So losis…" _Low blow…_

"Well, that'll have to do for now…" Will leaned back and admired his mediocre fire. Even with his proximity he could barely feel its warmth, but for tonight it would have to do. He wouldn't need it for the whole night anyway; only a fool would leave a fire of any size burning unattended.

Will grabbed his blanket from behind him and bundled it up into a makeshift pillow. He laid down and spread his arms and legs out as far as he could, becoming fully relaxed as he stretched out. Taking in and letting out one deep breath of fresh forest air, Will gazed up at the starry ceiling above him.

Stargazing had always been one of his favorite actives as a child. Some were perplexed and some even afraid by the infinite wonder of the space above them, but that was not Will. He had forever been astounded by the night sky. Just one look at its celestial majesty could take him captive for an entire night.

It seemed though like an ill-fated hobby for a city dweller such as William, whose view of the stars and what lay beyond them was often blocked by smog and light pollution if not buildings themselves.

To get an adequate look, the kind that only an avid stargazer like Will would accept, he'd have to venture outside of human territory and into the wild. The problem still proved to be his setting; anywhere outside of Viridian City where Will could observe the stars unobstructed was too far for his parent's to allow him to traverse on his own. And anywhere in or around Icirrus City was covered in snow. Remaining face-up in the snow for even an hour ran the risk of hypothermia.

One of his very first thoughts as he took those first few steps out of Nuvema Town with Cheren and Bianca was of all the stargazing he'd be able to do while on the road. It was only night one, and things were looking swell on that front.

"Huh?" Will looked up suddenly. A disturbing rustle had come from that direction in the bushes. And while nothing too threatening was said to live in the area, he had to be one hundred percent certain his face wasn't about to be eaten off by some monster Pokémon.

As he got to his feet, he quickly ruled out the only two possibilities he'd be entirely comfortable with: Cell and Rocket. Cell was still relaxing by the tent and Rocket was fast asleep, rightfully tuckered out from his three humiliating defeats.

"Cell," he whispered urgently as he slowly crept towards the bushes. The Solosis looked tiredly up at him, cocking an eye.

"So solooo?" he said snidely. _I thought you were trying to train Rocket, huh?_

Will rolled his eyes. "Could you possibly sass me later? I think I'd rather you handle this one. You know: the possible murder of all three of us. But whatever, I mean, if you want to sleep…"

"Solo, solo, solo…" _Okay, okay, okay…_

Cell drifted, albeit not to happily, towards Will as the rustling began to increase in frequency. Will could not see it, but he could hear it and it was definitely getting closer. He narrowed his eyes, peering through the darkness that prevailed in the trees. It had to be there somewhere…

_There! _Just on the borders of his limited line of sight, Will could see a bush rustling. The motion very quickly stopped, however, and left Will as literally and metaphorically blind he had been only second ago.

But then it happened again. Only this time the bush was closer. And then again and closer. Whatever was causing the rustling in the bushes was continuing to advance on Will's campsite. And it was beginning to look like he'd have to defend himself.

"You ready, buddy?" he asked Cell.

Cell nodded. "Solos…"

"We strike first," he declared, concentrating on the bushes, "No sense in letting anything get the drop on us."

"Lo solo," agreed Cell again.

"Alright…here it comes." The source was now virtually upon them, occupying the nearest bush to their campsite. "On the count of three…one…two…thr-"

"Uhhhhnnn…" came the reply from the bush.

Will stopped his count and exchanged a nervous glance with Cell. The sound had been very human and on that logic, reason recommended that he reconsider his action. But the zombie-like moan had done nothing if not make Will want to attack more.

He licked his dry lips. "Okay, Cell, what you're gonna do is attack as hard as you-"

"Wiiiilll…" moaned the bush once more, sending shivers down both Will and Cell's spine.

Of course, Cell didn't have a spine, but that's beside the point.

"What you're going to do," instructed Will in below a hushed whisper, "Is you're going to kill whatever is-"

Suddenly, the source of the noise burst out of the bushes, causing both Will and Cell to flinch and leap backwards in surprise. The two quickly relaxed, however, and realized they were in no danger. The mysterious source of the groaning sound that ambled slowly towards them could have been stopped with more ease than a Slowpoke of Thanksgiving.

Letting out one more moan, Bianca flopped face first on the ground next to Will's campfire. Her blouse and skirt were covered in leaves and twigs and other forest unpleasantries. From the looks of it, Bianca had had a very tough.

Will edged tentatively closer to make sure that she was okay. She simply lied there, her face in the dirt and her posterior sticking up into the air.

"Uh, Bianca? You okay?" inquired Will.

"Yeah…" she dimly responded, her voice muffled by the ground, "I'm just really tired and really hungry…"

"You didn't bring your own food?"

"I ate it…" responded Bianca, a twinge of guilt in her voice.

"All of it!? How much did you bring?"

"Oh, you know. A couple of granola bars, some yogurt, some candy…"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Some _candy_?"

"Alright, a _lot _of candy," admitted Bianca with a sigh.

"And you ate it all?"

"Yup."

"All of it?"

"Uh-huh."

"There's none left now?"

"Nope."

"So you need mine?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

Rolling his eyes, Will stepped over it his satchel and began to rifle through his bag. He was not at all troubled with having to share his food with a friend and need. That would be selfish. Will was only worried that having to do so would become a common theme on his journey.

Will pulled out a couple of granola bars and some dried fruit, not knowing whether or not Bianca favored meat and forgoing the dried jerky for the time being. He had plenty of similar rations in his bag; nothing too luxurious. He maximized the amount of food he could take with him (or rather his mother had) by stocking himself chiefly with travel rations. Over the course of his first day he had only consumed four granola bars, two small bags of dried fruit and some jerky, which he had hoped he could heat over a fire. Will had more than enough rations to last him until Accumula Town.

But some nagging feeling deep down told him that his current stock would somehow diminish more rapidly now that Bianca had joined.

"Here you go," Will begrudgingly offered to Bianca. She didn't even acknowledge him.

"Just leave it there…I'll get to it eventually…"

He almost couldn't help himself but drop the food rather tartly and be done with Bianca for the night. That in and of itself still would have been kinder than turning her away!

But Will had been raised better than that. It was almost as if as he prepared to do something rash and rude, his mother's voice rang out in his head and reminded him, _Temper, temper, temper! Now's not the time for that!_

"You can stay here with me for the night if you want," added Will, heading back towards his own equipment, "I'm going to bed. If you plan on staying up, I'd appreciate it if you put out that fire before you went to sleep."

For a moment Bianca did not respond. Will sat down and began to unable his blanket and lay his bedroll flat on the ground. He began to press down on it in several areas to make it more comfortable for sleeping, when Bianca then spoke up.

"Hey Will?" she meekly mewed in a tone that all but told Will she was going to ask for something.

He sighed. "Yes?" he answered less than enthusiastically.

"I forgot my bedroll at home…"

Will paused, considering teaching Bianca a lesson for her carelessness and not pampering her any more than he already was. But his eyes drifted to Cell, who gave him a mischievous glare. If he could speak any human language, Will guessed he would be snidely incriminating Will's decisions and saying something along the lines of, _"Well, you _did _say you'd help her, didn't you Mr. Goodwill?_

Nevertheless, the teen couldn't help but feel both guilty and like he was being paid back for the "Mr. Fire Expert" and "no hands" remarks.

"You petty little ingrate…" he muttered under his breath, shooting Cell as sideways glance as he got to his feet with bedroll in hand. _Well, I didn't want to be comfortable tonight anyway…_

Will laid the bedroll down next to Bianca, still lying motionless in the dirt in her exhaustion and acknowledged his gesture with nothing more than a tired groan. If she had touched her food yet, which she had not, Will might have just accused her of taking advantage of him or being generally lazy.

He discounted an capacity for Bianca to be that selfish and put full faith in her ability to completely exhaust herself in the matter of a few leagues.

On his way several-step return trip to his tent, Will could almost feel his back beginning to ache as an early prelude to spending the night on the cold hard ground. _At least I can use my extra blanket as a pillow…_

Hopefully, he dug through his bag and pulled out said blanket to supplement use with his own. Just as, of course, Bianca mewed for assistance once more.

"Hey Will…?"

"Y-yeah…?"

"I forgot my blanket, too…"

Cell, again, was very pleased at that given moment and would be for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Unova, Route 20**

* * *

Another foolish mistake. Perhaps it would turn out to be its _last _mistake. And maybe it hadn't been as foolish as it had been doomed or ill-fated. Nevertheless it was a mistake that would soon result in the Pokémon's capture.

Not capture within a Pokèball, mind you. This capture would be of a very unorthodox, unfriendly, and otherwise frowned upon method. It was that which some would call cruel and heinous, and others would call "the old fashioned way."

Pokémon hunting. A game plaid for either human entertainment or human money. Two of their most corrupting features.

Route 20 of Unova's western regions was well wet and muddied from the previous day's heavy rainfall. Newborn leaves littered the ground and hung heavy from their tree branches. As the fleeing Pokémon raced away from its pursuers, its shaggy mane was easily caught within the wet branches, thus slowing it down. Mistake number one.

Said Pokémon had then banked on the hope that it would be able to allude its captors by heading towards the element in which it was most fluent in movement: water. Its small hooves had excellent traction on the shiny wet pebbles that dotted the nearby river's coast and it would easily be able to lose the hunters on the other side.

The wet leaves clinging to its hooves were not quite as good at gripping solid ground. It failed to realize this fact and slipped haphazardly on the stones and into the water, giving the hunters even more time to catch up. Mistake number two.

Now the hunters were upon it. There was nowhere left to run, or at least nowhere close enough for him to run to. Any further planning would require time that it did not have. Left now without the option of flight, the Pokémon had but one faint hope on escaping.

And there it made mistake number three.

Had it attacked the pursuers head-on, surprising them, maybe it would have had a chance. Had it hidden itself and waited for the pursuers to come to it in order to stage an ambush, maybe it would have had a chance. If it had put even a smidgeon of developed thought into its plan, maybe it could have hoped against all hope for a chance.

But the young Pokémon made a grace mistake. By making what it thought to be an honorable move it made the greatest mistake of all. It mistook humans for honorable creatures.

At least, this pair was not.

The Pokémon could now hear the loud _clip-clop clip-clop _its hooves made as they pounded on the stone floor of the rocky outcropping it had fled into. An educated outcome of the otherwise uneducated decision gave the beast at least some manner of advantage over his opponents; as they could hear its step, he could hear theirs.

Its thought was in the right place with its plan. But its mind was not.

Looking up ahead would have seemed like a wall was rushing towards the Pokémon, which was the opposite of what was going on. It had nearly reached the dead end that it intentionally raced towards. The end of the line and of mistake number three.

"I see it! Up ahead!" cried a female human's voice from behind. For all the running and physical work that the Pokémon had forced her to do in order to catch up, she seemed to be very collected.

"'Ere she is!" the accented male voice responded, only using "she" as a pseudo slang term for the object he described. In actuality, that was not the Pokémon's gender.

The Pokémon skidded to a stop, sliding several meters on its wet hooves. It reared and turned to face the hunters with its horn pointed menacingly in their general direction. To him, it was a warning gesture.

To the hunters, it was an invitation to get in close and finish the job. The pair had poached enough Pokémon to know when visible signs of entrapment and resignation were showing. And these were them.

"Stoutland! Get in there and wipe 'im out!"

"Rowf rowf!" responded the great furry mastiff Pokémon as it bounded forward at speeds unattainable by its human masters. Although most of its bulk and height could be attributed to fur mass, Stoutland was easily as big if not bigger than their quarry.

The hunted Pokémon shakily lowered its head, pointing the stubby horn adorning his forehead at the oncoming Stoutland like the mouth of a cannon. He took one deep breath and mentally braced himself. He'd get only one shot at this and one shot only.

Not that it mattered of course. The mistake had already been made.

Trying to sound as fearsome as it possibly could, and failing for the most part, the creature let out an angered bray and launched a gusher of water at the Stoutland from his horn, aiming to knock the creature right back down.

Stoutland leapt to the side and avoided the attack with ease. Now he was in striking distance and there was nothing the other Pokémon could do about it.

In pure shock of its missed attack, the creature relaxed on its haunches, perplexed and filled with fear. Which gave Stoutalnd the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Stun the bloke with Thunah Fang!" shouted the foreigner as he and his companion began to gain significant ground on their prize. The hunt was nearing the end and they could feel it, adrenaline adding a spring to their step.

It was time to cash in.

"Rowf!" barked Stoutland in response, halting his bounding strides to surmount his final motion into one last leapt. His arc took him a good ten feet into the air and he bore straight down on his weakened target. Friction and static electricity built up in sharp teeth as pure electricity exploded around them.

Stoutland's teeth met the creature's neck before it even hit the ground. When it did, its superior strength and willpower allowed it to lift the demoralized Pokémon right off of its hooves and and shake it back and forth like it was a toy, electricity coursing through its body.

Releasing the Pokémon from its jaws, Stoutland flung it against the rocky walls where it made contact with a sickening crack. It landed on its side and made one brief attempt to get back up.

"Psh," snickered the accented man as he and his female counterpart finally caught up with Stoutland, "Stay down, mate. It'll be easier that way."

It seemed that the creature complied. Residual electricity coursed through its fur and gave its neural system a nice little call. The creature twitched and fell flat on the ground and remained that way, unmoving.

The man, woman and Stoutland watched it for a moment, expecting more resistance. A stubborn one, that Pokémon had been. Almost like it had some sort of misguided sense of nobility that didn't agree with the tactics employed by the hunters.

Too bad for it, they reasoned. People like them always brought up the argument that natural selection and all that other Darwinian nonsense would've fixed their brains to avoid this stuff if it weren't right.

But alas, it seemed that once again the mighty Pyroar had claimed its tasty Sawsbuck and would now feast.

Metaphorically of course. If the hunters planned on eating something valuable, they might as well have gone with solid gold. It wouldn't have been as wasteful as eating this particular prize.

The man, a stringy yet well-muscled blonde man dressed almost exclusively in red, sauntered over to the unconscious Pokémon. He whistled to himself as he rolled up the coil of rope in his fist and bent down next to the Pokémon.

"Check it 'at, Sammy girl," he said as he began to hog tie the beast, "I know a lot a things about money, love, I'll guarantee ya that. But I never could imagine in me wildest dreams that so much of its could walk on four little legs like this 'lil brumby." He prodded the creature's ribcage with his steel-toed boots to identify it to his partner.

Who, speaking of, was busy rolling her eyes as she saw to Stoutland. "Please don't damage the merchandise. The Broker doesn't buy banged up Pokémon. This thing has to look like a show-Ponyta when we give it to him."

"Which is what I don't get," he responded, leaning up against the rocky wall, "Perhaps you could explain it to me, love."

"It's just our lot in life, Syd." She tightened the girth of the harness around Stoutland's neck, which would be attached to tarp that their prize would be placed on, and then towed back to their vehicle with. "We're two nobody mercs and the Broker has connections everywhere. He knows all the good Pokémon brokers and black market moguls, and a Pokémon from him has quite the seal of approval. Who cares who gets to be the middleman as long as we get paid good money?"

"Crikey, Sam! You're not makin' any sense to me!" The male hunter placed one foot atop his captive and stood like a war hero atop a pile of his vanquished enemies, shoulders pointed up and chest puffed out. "I'm mighty, the incorrigible, the irredeemable Sydney Orion! Men wanna be me, and ladies wanna be _with _me."

Samantha, once again, rolled her eyes. She brushed a strand of sweaty black hair out of her eyes and stood, having finally adjusted Stoutland's harness correctly.

"Got a little too carried away with the big words, O Mighty Orion. Now c'mon, help me load that thing onto the tarp."

"Alright, alright." Disgruntld, Sydney stepped off of the beast and began dragging it towards the tarp hooked up to Stoutland. For a small Pokémon, he sure was heavy. With one great heave Sydney lifted him successfully up and onto the tarp. He cockily eyed Samantha and flashed a pearly white smile.

"There ya go, Sammy girl. How's that?"

"Fine, for now," she curtly responded and began to walk in the opposite direction, out of the small canyon, "We'll heal it up as best we can once we get back to the truck and be at the rendezvous in three days. If the Broker's rep is there any longer than he wants to be and we miss this deal, than we're gonna be hard pressed to sell this thing. Very few people out there would take us seriously if we told them we'd gotten our hands on this."

Sydney licked his lips. "Oh, money is money, Sam. I don't care if it's your Great Auntie Margaret that we sell it to, so long as we get paid." He hungrily snuck a glimpse at the captive Pokémon being dragged along by Stoutland. He was hungry not for meat, but for cold-hard cash. And this little guy was gonna bring him lots of it.

"Hear that, mate? You're gonna make a lot of people very, very happy…"

Unless you were count the opening of Mistralton City's very first bowling alley several hours ago, or the birth of future multislot Pokèball creator Zatana Markos only fifty three minutes prior, this was the last significant even to occur on that night in history.

One last mistake.

For in total, four had been made in the entirety of that chase. Three had been made by the hunted and one by the hunters.

The humans known as Sydney Orion and Samantha Kurumi had been right when Sydney had told the captured Pokémon that it would soon bring joy (and monetary gain) to other humans.

There was no area in which he had been wrong, only ignorant.

Once again, he was indeed right that the Pokémon was going to bring joy (and, once again, monetary gain) to other humans. But they had unwittingly brought anger from not humans, but Pokémon.

Three specific Pokémon.

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuuuuun! What significance does the capture of this strange Pokemon signify? What was the Pokemon, and who was paying the hunters to capture it? What shall Will, his Pokemon (and now Bianca) encounter on their second day as Pokemon Trainers? Find out next time in:**

_**Chapter 7: The River**_

**On a lighter note, it's Reader Question time! This time, I want to know what your favorite non-Pokemon Nintendo franchise is. These folks put out a lot more than our beloved Pokemon, so which series of theirs besides Pocket Monsters is your fav?**

**FIRE EMBLEM FTW!**

**Review please, and I'll see you next week for more updatey goodness!**


	8. The River

**Chapter 7: The River**

* * *

**Unova, Pokemon League (?)**

* * *

_"Druddigon, use Dragon Claw!" ordered the Trainer on the red side, beads of sweat pooling on his forehead and his hands clenched into fists. Normally calm was this Trainer's staple, for he was ranked number one in the Pokémon League worldwide and had rightfully so earned that title. Few challengers could ever even land a hit on his Pokémon._

_But not this one. This challenger was different, able to match him pound for pound and even outsmart him on more than one occasion. He had to be dealt with quickly or else he'd be able to formulate another genius plan. If this Trainer wanted to win this last battle in the 2014 Unova League, he'd be hard pressed to earn it._

_"Drudiiih!"_

_The snarling burly Dragon-Type raised one of its club-like arms and charged for the ovular Pokémon floating at the other end of the field, patiently awaiting its Trainer's orders._

_Said other Trainer grinned. His overzealous opponent had made a rash move and would soon pay for it. For he had just walked into this Trainer's brilliantly laid trap. It was high time for the steely jaws of the trick to clamp down and claim a final victim. _

_"Cell, use Rollout!" he calmly ordered, hands in his pocket._

_The Solosis simply nodded and rolled forward like a locomotive, barreling straight for Druddigon's chest._

_The other Trainer gasped. "H-how could I be so foolish!? His genius plot has foiled me once again!"_

_Cell launched into Druddigon's chest and sent the blue scaled Dragon-Type sliding all the way back to its Trainer's feet. There was no question of the result._

_"Druddigon is unable to battle! William Grey is the victor!"_

_A cheer strong enough to crack a mountain in two rose up from the crowd in recognition of their champion. The __**new **__Champion. As if there had been any question of who would win from the start._

_Patrons, eager to greet the rising star, flooded the field and hoisted him on their shoulders, merrily cheering for him._

_"William Grey!" called the announcer as confetti rained down on the field, mixed with what seemed to be money, "Not only are you now the Champion of the entire Pokémon League, we've also conducted a unanimous vote to establish you as President of the Universe!"_

_Another cheer went up and the crowd began to chant his name. "Wi-il! Wi-il! Wi-il!"_

_"People, people, please. Calm yourselves," he urged his adoring public, "There's plenty of me to go a-"_

_Everyone was cheering. Celebrating like someone (probably him) had just heralded in world peace. But prevailing through all of the cheering, like the dull thud of a migraine over all other sound, was a song. Contrasting with the cheering it was light and grim. Soothing and searing. Although this amount of celebration would have been able to deafen out the sounds of an atomic blast on any normal occasion, the song seemed to prevail._

_"Nature, nurture, heaven and home_

_Sum of all and by them driven_

_To conquer every mountain shown_

_But I've never crossed the river."_

_Craning his neck, Will searched the crowd and quickly found an outlier. Everyone was celebrating and cheering like wild. All except for one woman._

_She sat upon a stump that had miraculously sprouted perfectly in the center of the battlefield. Its oaken roots curled out onto both sides of the field where red and blue had somehow been replaced with the colors of black and white._

_The woman appeared to be about a head shorter than Will but much older, probably about her mid-twenties. Her attire was an odd mix of modern and period clothing. She wore sandals and colorful tights under a ruffled grey skirt that went down to her knees. Over a thin, weathered wool jacket she wore a torn jean jacket, and a camo tank top under all of that. _

_Around both of her arms were bracelets and arm bands from a multitude of time periods ranging from rainbow colored bands to rubber bracelets with modern pop culture phrases on them to a couple of leather and steel bracers that looked like they belonged in a museum. Her neck sported a single necklace, but Will could not tell what was attached to the chain._

_Her face's plain expression quite contrasted her outrageous outfit, and nothing was done to her long black hair save for a black feather nocked behind her ear. Probably the most defining feature of all was the acoustic guitar resting on her lap which had produced the melodious sounds Will had heard earlier._

_She looked into his eyes. Her gaze went far, far past his eyes and bore deep into his soul. Just when Will felt as if his head were to explode from the pure pressure her eyes injected into his body, she strummed a slow cord on her guitar._

_In a flash, everything went white. As all senses of being and place faded from Will's mind, the chanting continued._

_"Wi-il! Wi-il! Wi-il!"_

* * *

**Route 1, Will's Campsite**

* * *

"Will…Wiiiiilll…Will!"

What had been a shrill whisper quickly became a sharp hiss. A prodding sensation on his forehead quickly became a sharp jab and a nail dug into his skin. Will snapped awake and batted away the source of the poking and shot straight up. He found his face uncomfortably close to Bianca's.

Said blonde blinked twice out of nervousness and got her bearings. A smile spread across her once wary face and she waved pleasantly to Will despite him being inches in front of her.

"Mornin'!" she said cheerily, scooching back a bit. "Sleep well?"

"Not very…" Will put pressure on his sore spine. It hadn't exactly been a mystery how spending a night on the cold hard ground would make a person feel. Though sadly, Will had been forced to discover firsthand results. Along with his lower and upper back including his shoulders, Will felt pain in his neck, thighs, calves and legs.

At least Bianca had slept well on _his _bedroll. With _his_ blanket. Under _his_ tent. The other teen seemed as bubbly and chipper as usually. Her hair and clothing, which she had slept in, seemed to be a bit tousled. At the moment she was not wearing her staple barrette.

Despite her bright demeanor, there seemed to be something on her mind. After greeting Will, her smile turned back into a slight frown and her brow creased.

"What's the matter?" he asked, sitting up. He looked behind him to Cell and Rocket, who were still both fast asleep. Amidst their slumber, Rocket's head had tilted over and leaned atop Cell's body resulting in an adorable yet unknown moment shared by the two. If something hadn't been the matter with Bianca, Will might have taken a picture.

But apparently that was a luxury he couldn't spare precious seconds on. Bianca continued to prod him the second he turned around. Glaring, he whipped his head back around to bear on her. She quickly withdrew her finger and held it like it had been bitten.

"What!?" snapped Will, already cranky from his rude awakening. He had been having a good dream and wasn't too thrilled with Bianca taking him out of it as it was.

"S-sorry…" she muttered, having only been trying to help, "But there was this weird singing coming from in the forest…I thought you might have wanted to know…"

Intrigued, Will sat up more and relaxed. "Weird singing? What do you mean?"

"Like, I heard a lady playing the guitar and singing." Bianca shivered and then hugged herself. "The words were kinda creepy…"

As if on cue, the music drifted back into their camp like a lazy breeze. Bianca shivered again, haunted by the melodic strumming of the guitar and the. And even Will had to admit that he was at first stupefied by the music.

For it was the exact same song he had heard in his dream. Not the same lyrics, perhaps a different verse, but the tempo and tone continued on all the same. It continued as such:

_Braved the forests, braved the stone_

_Braved the icy winds and fire_

_Braved and beat them on my own_

_Yet I'm helpless by the river…_

Will threw off his blanket and jumped up, bolting for his belongings. He quickly located his shoes and began to stuff his feet into them as Bianca, still cowering, raised her head above her knees high enough to spy Will departing.

"W-where are you going?"

"Wherever that music is coming from!" he declared, grabbing his jacket off of the ground and stuffing his arms into the sleeves, "I have to find out who's playing that music!"

Bianca gulped. No Will meant no protection. "D-do you _have _to?"

He paused, his second arm halfway into its sleeve. That question had been surprisingly thought-out and existential for Bianca. Did he really have to? If so, who or what was telling him or determining that it was? Was this an answer he wanted to know?

_Yes, _he affirmed and continued to dress, _Yes it was._

"Cell," he whispered, taking care not to wake Rocket, "Cell, wake up, buddy. Need ya for a minute."

"Sooooo…" squeaked the Solosis in his version of a yawn, lifting slightly off of the ground and shaking his head. _Where's the fire?_

"C'mon, follow me." Will beckoned for Cell to follow behind him and made for the tree line from which Bianca had emerged only hours past in yesterday's night. "Bianca, watch my stuff! I'll be right back!"

Will pushed two bushes to the side in order to make a pathway for himself into the trees and began to wade into the brush, eventually disappearing in the wall of greens and browns. Still barely awake and not sharing his Trainer's enthusiasm to solve the mystery of which he still had barely any knowledge, Cell slowly followed.

"O-okay!" Bianca responded after a moment's hesitance. She was still a little shocked from Will's sudden departure and leaving her stranded on her own.

_B-but there can't be _that _many dangerous Pokémon in this forest, right? _Bianca convinced herself, laying down flat on the bedroll and folding her hands on her stomach and twiddling her thumbs out of nervousness. _Just relax, Bianca. Don't panic. Remember what Cheren told you. Nothing bad will come to me if I just…if I just re…relax…_

Within twenty eight seconds of her first (and last) burst of fear that Will was leaving her alone in the forest to fend for herself, Bianca Belle had fallen back asleep and would remain that way until Will returned.

The most threatening thing a Pokémon did to her whilst alone came when a disgruntled Patrat crawled out of its den to shake its fist and chitter spicily worded complaints about Bianca's snoring.

Defeating the purpose of the complaints and only serving to tire out the Patrat, they and the haunting music that Will made off to investigate were drowned out by the snores.

…

_"Angel, angel, what have I done?_

_I've faced the ice, the wind, the fire_

_I've conquered country, crown and throne_

_Why can't I cross this river?"_

Counting what he had heard within his dream, this was the third serene verse that Will had heard come from the mysterious source and their guitar. It spurred him to move even faster, hastily shoving aside trees and bushes and leaping over rocks and logs.

Sometimes minus the leaping part due to his haste. Every time he stumbled though, Will managed to pick himself back up and keep going.

Amidst his running, he had manage to answer Bianca's question. Yes, he _had _to know where this song was coming from. It couldn't just have been him coincidentally hearing someone practicing guitar in the middle of the forest. The song had come through far too vividly in his dream for it to have been carried through the air to him, and he had never heard it before in his life.

Besides, who practices guitar in the forest anyway?

If Will were any more superstitious than he already was (which is to say not very) he might have seen this as some sort of omen or cosmic sign. But that was a load of bologna and everyone knew it.

Another verse hummed through the trees causing Will's heart to flutter. It was coming through much more clearly now; he was getting closer.

_"Pay no mind to the battles you've won_

_It'll take a lot more than rage and muscle_

_Open your heart and hands my son_

_Or you'll never make it over the river."_

"We're getting closer!" declared Will in order to boost Cell's moral (which was to say very low). While Cell admired his Trainer's enthusiasm, whatever he was woken up at the crack of dawn for would have to be rather important.

Songs in the woods were not rather important. Not even _somewhat_ important. They were important to Will and not to Cell and when ordeals came to the matter of sleep, they did not always line up.

_"It'll take a lot more than words and guns_

_A whole lot more than riches and muscle_

_The hands of the many must join as one_

_And together we'll cross the river."_

_Almost there! _The last verse had been very clear and easily heard like it were being spoken right to him. Lying under the sweet melody, Will could hear the gentle babble of a nearby river or brook.

"I've had enough existentialism for one day," he mumbled to himself, "Let's hope this song is being quite literal."

Finally, he burst through the trees and out of the thick woods. Panting slightly, he came to terms with his surroundings. There was indeed a river before him, short in depth but large in width, that ran with clear trickling water. There was a grass bank on the other side similar to that on which he stood.

Will didn't forget about the music for more than a second and immediately searched for the source. And it didn't take him too long to find it.

It wasn't so much the source itself that directed Will _to _the source, rather the small audience of Pokémon gathered around it and listening entrancedly. There were Patrats and Lillipup on the ground, perhaps the same ones he had seen yesterday. A Pidove or two listened from the trees, and a Basculin tread against the weak current just to hear her song. They were gathered around a stump at the bank of the river, and Will gasped when he saw who sat atop it.

It was the woman. The exact same woman from his dreams.

Every single detail was the same. Everything about her matched what Will had seen in his dream to the letter. The clothes, the hair, the arm bands. Everything. The mysterious necklace was present too, but it was now tucked into her shirt.

Heedless of her new company in Will and Cell, the woman continued to strum her guitar and sing her sweet song. She must have truly been a master at playing the instrument for she could do so with her eyes closer, as she was now.

_"It'll take a lot more than words and guns_

_A whole lot more than riches and muscle_

_Open your heart and hands my son_

_Or you'll never make it over the river."_

She gave her guitar one last strum over all six cords and then rested her hand on the its body. Her Pokémon audience gave her their version of a standing ovation, which consisted of chitters, chirps and howls. Taking a deep breath in through her nose and then out through her mouth, the woman opened her amber eyes and winked at Will.

"Dig my song?" she asked leisurely, lifting one of her legs up onto the stump. She had apparently noticed Will and Cell before even the Pokémon had, and they scattered when they finally did. The Patrats and Lilipup scampered for the woods, the Pidove fluttered away and the Basculin dove under the water and swam away with the current. The woman giggled.

"They don't like people, but they sure do dig music. Guess song is just a usual language, dig?"

"Why do you keep saying 'dig?'" wondered Will, skating around the obvious questions.

"That's what all the kids are saying now, right?" She asked as if she wanted to be sure but wasn't. "Like, 'hey dog, what's the haps? Ya dig?' Like that."

Will scratched his head. "Well, maybe when my mother was my age, but I'm not really sure about now…"

"Oh well. Times change, people change." Indifferently, the woman began to tune her guitar, and it seemed, Will out.

"I-I mean, I don't want to insult the way you talk," stammered Will, trying desperately to make sure she didn't lose interest in him. She seemed like the kind of person who could do such a thing and he still needed answers. "I haven't seen much of the world, so…I guess that could still be the way people talk somewhere…"

Looking up from her guitar, the woman grinned at Will and winked. "Taking into account societal conventions. I like that."

"W-what?"

"Nothin'. Just throwin' ideas against the wall. Seein' what sticks, ya dig?"

"Yeah, actually, I do." Will remembered how he had said some of the very same words to Cheren two days ago after their battle. While Will would be the first person to admit that his often worrisome personality would not permit him to be as laid back and 'go with the flow' as this woman seemed, she spoke of a similar method of thinking Will often used, evident in his last battle with Cheren.

Will took a few steps closer to her, not wanting to seem too alienated. "Hey…are you a Pokémon Trainer?"

"I don't really consider myself one," she answered, looking back at the strings of her instrument, "Why?"

"Oh, well, uh…never mind." Will scratched his head and looked away. That had come across a bit awkwardly. He tried another question, this one less ambiguous, as he worked his way towards the answers.

He could just well go up to her and say "I just saw you in my dreams." There were a lot of things Will imagined that he could say to drive someone away and that was pretty high up on the list.

"So…why are you playing music out here?"

Once again, the woman smiled. "You know, that brings up a good point I've been wondering about," she said, leaving her guitar against the stump, "Why do people ask these questions? When a Combee is off gathering honey, how often does another Combee come up to it and ask 'Hey dude, why are ya doin' that?'"

"Not very often, I'd imagine," responded Will.

"Right! And when a Lilipup is chasing its tail, the chances of another Lilipup coming up to it and asking 'Why are you chasing your tail, buddy?'"

Will rocked back and forth on his heels. "Uh…you're kinda losing me…"

She giggled. "My point is that the Lilipup and the Combee are just doin' what they do. And no one else asks why because that's just what they _do_. Combee get honey cause they need to eat and Lilipup chase their tails cause in makes them happy! So I don't get why a gal can't just practice her music in the woods at whatever hour she wants without getting' asked 'Why?' by some passerby. There's always a reason for everything, even if there don't seem to be one."

"I-I'm sorry!" stammered Will, waving his hands defensively, "I-I didn't mean to-"

"Chill, dude. I'm just messin'." She picked up her guitar and laid it flat on her lap, placing both of her sandaled feet flat on the ground. Will noted the mischievous flare in her eyes and wished he had noticed before instead of making a fool of himself.

"Oh…sorr-"

"Stop bein' sorry! Yeesh, you act like you just woke up from a weird dream or somethin'."

_You have no idea…_Had she not already been messing with him, Will probably would have gotten the impression that she was messing with him. Not just in her joking but in her actions as well. In the dream, she had seemed so foreboding.

If he had seen her at all and this wasn't just a trick of his mind…

On several occasions, Will had confronted new people or situations and been stricken with the strangest sensations of déjà vu, like he had seen those people or done those things before. He had eventually learned that these were brought on by tricks of the mind that toyed with your dreams and subconscious. And perhaps that was what applied here. Maybe he _thought _he had thought those thoughts before.

_I think…_he pondered, his own thoughts beginning to confuse him.

"Ahem…" The woman plucked a sharp cord on her guitar. "Earth to tall kid! You fall asleep or somethin'?"

He sheepishly scratched his head and came to. "No, I was just thinking. That's all."

"That's all, eh?" probed the woman, "'All' seemed to be a rather lot to me. Wouldn't you say?"

Will shook his head. "Listen I've had enough existentialism for one day, and-"

"There was more?" wondered the woman.

"It was back at-" Will stopped himself. Although she seemed nice, there was no way Will could yet know whether or not this was an elaborate scheme to rob him, and possibly Bianca if he let her know about his nearby camp, "N-never mind…so, what's your name?"

Cell rolled his eyes. "So solos…" NOW _we're at the name? Shouldn't that have been first._

"Good point, pal," agreed the woman.

"S-solos?" _Y-you can understand me?_

She winked at Cell. Will thought she was referring only to him, and the brief exchange went right over his head. The woman crossed her legs on the stump and explain.

"I've been called a lot of things over the years," she said to Will, picking at four random strings on the guitar, "I have a name, but if no one calls me it anymore, than what's the point of using it, dig? After all, a name is a description of what or who you are and people call you that. Am I right?"

"Existentialism…" growled Will.

"Right," snickered the woman, who Will hoped would soon have a name so he could stop mentally referring to her as 'the woman'. "Well, people who still call me anything nowadays call me Circe. Short, sweet, and to the point, dig?"

"Now was that so hard…" grumbled Will, "Anyway, people who call _me_ anything these days, which is mostly everyone I talk to, call me William Grey. Or just Will for short."

Circe grinned at Will's reversal of her wording. "Looks like we have a smart guy on our hands, eh?"

"I sometimes think so of myself," remarked Will, shrugging.

"Grey…" Circe reclined back on the stump, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "I like that name. Right in the middle. Not black, not white…grey. Neutral. Huh…"

She had been mumbling and Will could barely hear her. "What was that?" he asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Oh, nothing. Just me bein' me. So tell me, Will, what're you out to do?"

"Huh?"

"What are your goals. What do you strive to do in this great big world of ours. Fixin' to be the next big deal in the world of Pokémon Trainers? Lot of opportunities for that."

Will shifted his weight from one foot to the other, thinking (also, he was getting a bit tired from all the standing in one place). "Well, you know, I haven't really-"

_BOOOOM!_

The ground suddenly gave a mighty much, causing Will to stumble left and almost fall into the river. Circe remained firm on the stump.

"What the-" Across the river, on the other side of the screen of trees and brush beyond it rose a cloud of grey dust like smoke from a chimney. The smog was thin though, and quickly began to disperse.

Smiling to herself, Circe began to peacefully strum her guitar again.

Will turned back around, his face a mixture of worry and agitation. "Y-you're not at all worried about this!?"

"Why should I be?" demanded Circe, "After all, it could be one of those opportunities I just mentioned. You never know."

"How could you just…ugh! Never mind! Come on, Cell!"

Forgetting all about Circe for the moment, Will dashed across the shallow stream, he footsteps sloshing through the river. Cell followed closely behind him but eyed Circe suspiciously as they left. What a strange piece of work she had been…

But Will had forgotten about her, and so Cell needed to too. Investigating the mushroom cloud of dust was of paramount importance, and the guitar playing weirdo could wait until later.

As he was hallway across the river, Circe once again began to play her guitar and sing. Will gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in irritation as he trudged across. It almost seemed that she was _trying _to tease him now with her ambiguity.

_"It'll take a lot more than words and guns_

_A whole lot more than riches and muscle_

_The hands of the many must join as one_

_And together we'll cross the river."_

…

"C'mon, you little runt! Stand still!"

The wiry Trainer with the flaming red hair spat in the direction of his adversary. Well, not really his adversary. To be an adversary you had to be physically adverse to the force whom you might refer to as an adversary. Therefore, considering this Purrloin could do nothing to harm the Trainer, it could not be considered an adversary.

More like a target.

A boulder twice the size of the Purrloin itself sat upon the poor creature's tail, effectively pinning it to the ground. For the immoral and potentially deranged man, this would be excellent target practice.

But out of pure scorn for this immoral and potentially deranged man, the Purrloin was not making it easy for him to "practice." Every time he'd pompously order his Pokémon to strike the Purrloin, she would dodge to the best of her ability and make as much of a show out of it as possible. She even hoped against hope that eventually, after pissing the human off enough to the point of his actions becoming wild and irrational, the boulder would become dislodged and she could really show him what's what.

Alas, that had yet to happen. That plan was experiencing a few difficulties, but the whole "get him mad" part was working like a charm.

Though in this instance, it was not good for the poor Purrloin.

"Parrr parrr…" purred the Devious Pokémon, standing erect on two feet and leaning nonchalantly against the rock which held her prisoner. The pressure forcing down on her tail was becoming more unbearable by the second, and with the attacks that kept battering her she knew that the façade would not be sustainable for much longer.

"Tch, don't you go actin' all high and mighty on me!" spurned the Trainer, spittle flying from his mouth.

Purrloin did nothing but shrug and begin to lick her paw. Her once shining purple fur was now coated with mud and in some areas, blood. But she couldn't let that stand. Even when taunting an oafish human, she had to look her best.

Said human snorted. The Purrloin suspected that if the air coming out of his head were any hotter, it would be steam. He looked down angrily at his Pokémon and sent it in to attack once again.

"Boldore, use Headbutt!" he shouted, jabbing a finger at the Purrloin. Now, he'd show that pompous Purrloin who was boss.

"Dor dor!" The tripedal Rock-Type leaned back on its three legs and then launched itself headlong at the Purrloin like a torpedo.

Purrloin cracked an eye open as she groomed herself to face the incoming Boldore. Inwardly she sighed and put down her paw. _Guess I have to deal with this again…_

Just as Boldore came whooshing by, Purrloin leapt atop the rock and the attack missed completely. Boldore landed on shaky legs and skidded a few feet on the muddy riverbank before coming to a halt.

Purrloin looked up at the human and winked. "Par parrrr…" _Better luck next time, red._

A primeval growl escaped the human's throat. Any human or Pokémon in his situation could have exercised a minimally appropriate response to this amount of stress and misdoing and just walked away with their pride intact. A response slightly higher in appropriateness would have been just to remove the rock from atop the tail of the suffering Pokémon and letting it go free. Much less just giving it a fair fight.

But many a creature, and mostly humans at that, often found themselves with a stupid idea in their heads that they themselves thought for some reason was a _good _idea. These creatures, mostly humans, also often were not of the most stable mental or emotional condition and could not mediate that it was, after all, a bad idea.

They also usually had a bad temper. And a pride complex. Both of which this human had.

This Purrloin had, or at least he _thought _it had, made a fool out of him. He thought that it was imperative that the Purrloin not get away with making a Mankey out of him, although it wouldn't have mattered at all in the end. No one would have found out he was bested by a trapped Purrloin but himself, and the Purrloin wouldn't have gone off to brag about it to her friends. She had _far _more important things to talk about.

Nevertheless, this human felt compelled to finish what he started.

"I'm gonna clobber you…" he vowed, cracking his fist.

And that was precisely when William Grey arrived.

"Well then…that doesn't seem like a good thing to do."

A vein twitched on the redhead's neck as he faced the challenger, who had come out of the woods right in front of where Boldore had landed and now stood.

"Oh, another little hero to tell me what to do eh?" the Trainer sneered, "You with those group 'a nobodys that tried to stop me earlier?"

"Someone tried to stop you earlier, eh?"

The Trainer sneered again. "Yeah. As you can see, it didn't work."

Will shrugged. "I suppose if you can't be reasoned with, I might as well just cut right to the chase…" He pulled out his Pokèdex and pointed it at the Trainer's Pokémon, who was a bit confused at the moment for lack of orders from its Trainer. "Not let's see what I'm dealing with here…"

**Boldore, **obliged the Pokèdex at Will's activation, **The Ore Pokémon and the evolved form of Roggenrola. When the energy within a Roggenrola's core becomes unsustainable for the smaller form, the energy leaks out and hardens into a crystal form. This results in magnetic rocks being attracted to the Boldore, resulting in a larger body. Unlike energy-based Pokémon such as Magnemite, Boldore can feed off of unrefined energy and minerals within the ground. If a Boldore expends more energy than it has stored, then its body will shut down until more energy finds its way into the core. In battle, Boldore can unleash their stored up energy in massive bursts, but tire quickly because of this. This Boldore is of an unspecified gender and is an estimated six years of age. It possesses the ability Sturdy and can use the moves Headbutt, Rock Blast, Iron Defense and Power Gem.**

Will silently cursed to himself as he slid the Pokèdex back into his pocket. Boldore was a pure Rock-Type and Rocket would have been of integral use in combatting it. He couldn't be blamed of course, since he had only woken up in the first place to investigate Circe, but his negligence still ate at him.

"Yo!" shouted the redhead, interrupting Will's thought process, "That was a fancy lil' gizmo ya got there. You right pissed me off now, but I'll tell ya what: you hand it over to me and I'll forget I ever saw ya. Capiche?"

_This is literally my first day with the thing. I'm not even gonna _think _about letting it leave my sight! _"You've got a lot of nerve beating up on this poor Purrloin and then telling me to essentially mug myself for you when I come to help," seethed Will, he hands clenching into fists. "We can both walk away from this without either getting hurt, or it can get ugly."

Will silently prayed that it did not have to get ugly. Unfortunately for him, the particular Trainer that he faced off against _loved _when things got ugly.

He let out an amused guffaw. The skinny kid across the river's pitiful delusions of grandeur were making for some class-A entertainment. "Listen pal, I've got ninety-nine problems and you sure ain't one. You probably think I'm stupid-"

"Definitely do, but carry on," quipped Will.

"-_but!_" said the other Trainer, forcefully. He hadn't yet decided to hurt the scrawny little runt in blue, but he was beginning to lean that way, "_But…_I know what that thing is. It's one 'a them Pokey-Dexes, ain't it? Which means you're a new Trainer." He proudly thumped a fist against his chest. He jammed his other hand into a grubby pocket and pulled out a badge case with its top missing. "Me? I've got four badges. I'm halfway to the Elite Four and you're halfway to Accumula Town! What's that tell ya, kid?"

"That…I'm making good time?" A wry grin broke out on Will's face. Even Purrloin giggled at that one.

Redhead's nostrils flared. "That does it!" he shouted, clenching the badge case so intensely that it nearly cracked. "Looks like you ain't very street smart, kid! Don't you know that runnin' your mouth to someone better than ya on the streets ain't a good idea?"

"No," Will said calmly, shrugging, "But I'll tell you what I _do _know what to do in situations like these."

"Oh yeah?"

"Confusion!" he shouted out of the blue, pointing at Redhead.

Who, in actuality, was confused. "I mean, I guess so but-BWAH!"

He was suddenly and unexpectedly blasted off of his feet by a wave of telekinetic energy. Redhead landed back-first in the shallow brook, his shirt and posterior becoming thoroughly soaked. His grip on the badge case faltered and he heard it skitter off of a rock and then plop into the brook.

"Good work, buddy," said Will to Cell as the shimmering glow faded from his companion. Redhead may have been right about one thing; perhaps Will wasn't as street smart as he could be or should be. But he sure was book smart where it counted.

And while he liked to deviate from the books whenever he could, there was one lesson he always liked to keep in mind whilst in shady situations: always strike first.

So far it had served him well. It seemed fitting that a simple-minded person would have a simple-minded Pokémon serving by his side. Boldore was rendered completely helpless and confused at the sudden silencing of his master.

"D-dor?" he stammered, skittering in rotation towards the river. An attack had been thrown. Master should have yelled at him to strike back by now. That was how battles worked, right?

Unfortunately this did not mean that Will ended the battle before it began. Even with his temporary advantage, Will was stuck. He had to free Purrloin and make sure that Redhead nor Boldore were able to hurt it anymore. But he couldn't allow Redhead to get back up and hurt Purrloin or order Boldore to hurt Purrloin. But he also couldn't allow Boldore to stay in the fight to accept commands from Redhead to hurt Purrloin.

Three options on the table before him. And at best he could only tackle two.

_Why didn't I take the bus? _Will bemoaned as he made up his mind.

"Cell, free Purrloin!" he shouted, bending down and picking up a smooth ovular stone, "I'll deal with Boldore!"

"So so lo!" Cell nodded and shot towards Purrloin. He clearly saw that Will lacked a clear-cut plan, but debate time was a scarce luxury. Boldore was clearly much stronger than Cell and would bring vast amounts of pain if blithely ignored, but Will apparently had a countermeasure for that.

That countermeasure was a rock. Something debatably not worthy of such a fancy word to describe it.

Bringing back his arm as far as he could, Will hurled the stone at Boldore with all of his might. He felt a small twinge in his shoulder muscles but bore it; he hadn't thrown anything that hard since before he had quit baseball in the third grade.

_CLONK!_

The rock bounced right off of Boldore's rocky body and did no physical damage. In fact it seemed that all the rock did was aggravate Boldore.

In that case, all according to plan.

Redhead was still dazed in the river, recovering from Cell's attack. He would soon be getting up Will suspected, but was not an immediate threat as Boldore was. Will had thusly dubbed Boldore as the most immediate threat and decided to take it.

"Dor!" Boldore angrily swiveled towards Will and stabbed the ground with one of its legs. "Boldore dor!" It skittered towards him with a surprising quickness, much like an arachnid Pokémon would move.

A shiver went down Will's spine; he had never been very fond of such Pokémon. Ever since a one of his fifth grade class pets, a Joltik, had hidden inside his coat one day and remained there until he put it on, Will had gotten the willies when watching Pokémon move like that.

It was the legs. They just plain creeped him out!

For now though, he'd have to take his older sister's usual advice in situations like these: _"Suck it up, Buttercup!"_

So Will did the valiant thing that any brave man or woman would do in this situation. He turned and ran.

"Hey, stupid!" he cried over his shoulder, trying to bait Boldore away from Cell and the Purrloin, "Your mother's a mountain!"

"DOR!" Boldore hunkered down and sped after the mouthy human. How dare he call his mother a mountain! His mother was a Klinklang!

Legs pumping, Will made for the patch of forest from where he had emerged. He was confident that he'd be able to lose Boldore, a lumbering subterranean Pokémon, in the lush forest and then loop around to extract Cell and Purrloin. Odds were that Redhead, a holder of four badges, had more than one Pokémon and wasn't going to be very accommodating of letting Cell and Purrloin go.

It was a very good thing that Will was thinking things through at that level. Being meticulous lowered the likelihood that things would go wrong after all.

Unfortunately, Will was only _thinking _about being meticulous. He wasn't actually doing it.

For as he thought ahead to what he would be doing later, he forgot to think about what he was doing then. At that moment, he was running. And if he had acknowledged that instead of thinking he might have avoided the root that tripped him.

His right foot hooked under the horseshoe shaped root as he pulled it up mid-run, causing him to fall face first into the ground. Will rolled over in a panic and desperately tried to loose himself. Boldore's furious footsteps were growing closer by the second.

And that fateful second approached much faster than Will could have hoped for. Boldore crested the small hill and was now a mere ten feet from Will, who tugged frantically at the root.

"Boooool-DOR!" Boldore lowered itself down and launched into the air, for a second eclipsing the morning sun. Gasping, Will shielded his head as Boldore began to descend in with its Headbutt attack. As if it would help.

"Oooo-shawa!"

_WHABAM!_

Will peeked his eyes open just as the ground around him was shaken by a loud thud. Slightly to his left, Boldore lie half lodged in the ground. His right foreleg twitched in pain and he appeared otherwise incapacitated.

He then felt the tightness around his ankle suddenly loosen. Will looked ahead of him and couldn't help but smile as Rocket, smiling pack, placed his scalchop back on his belly.

"Osha osha!" he excitedly chittered. _Did you see what I just did!?_

Will rapped the Sea Otter Pokémon in a tight hug. "I knew you had my back, buddy! I hope you know that I completely regret not choosing you from the start."

"Osh, shawa…" Rocket dismissively waved a paw at Will. _Oh, stop…_

"But seriously, how did you know where to find me?"

"Ahem!"

Sighing, Will shook his head. "Honestly, I can't believe I didn't see that one coming."

"That's right!" declared Bianca from her heroic perch atop the mossy log, "Bianca and friends, to the rescue!"

* * *

**Who is this "Circe" person? Why does she appear in Will's dreams? And what significance do her songs hold? Stay tuned to find out!**

**So stay tuned for next week's (on time) chapter: ****_Chapter 8: Boulder Than Before_**

**Let's cut right to the chase, shall we? Reader Question this time is a bit more imaginative than others: What real-world movie could you think of being produced in the Pokemon world as a "parody" of sorts for the universe? Examples could be Aron Man, Captain Unova, Zubat Man, Omastar Wars, and my personal favorite (and actually used in the anime. Props to Nintendo for thinking of this one) Dirty Herdier.**

**Herdier Callahan: "I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking "did he use six Pokemon or only five?" Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a Master Ball, the most powerful Pokeball in the world and will blow your health clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?**

**XD Well, that about does it. Review, and see ya next week!**


	9. Boulder Than Before

**Chapter 8: Boulder Than Before**

* * *

**Unova, Route 1**

* * *

That particular day that had become the setting for William Grey's first official day as a Pokémon Trainer (second or even third if you counted the other stuff) had not been kind in many ways to the beginning Trainer. But for the matter of fact and not much else, it had also not been very kind to the more experienced Trainer known as Darren Drew, the Trainer otherwise and previously known unaffectionately as "Redhead."

Redhead, as he shall continue to be named until a revelation is made, was not having a spectacular day. Up to that point it had been quite average for him in fact. Being banned from every Pokémon Center in the region for several minor crimes and misdemeanors, he found that it was better for him to prowl around towns rather than prowl about them to avoid unnecessary attention from the police, for many men and women in uniform recognized him.

Of course he still stopped by towns and cities to compete in the Unova League and the occasional tournament or League Tourney. A Trainer like him had a reputation to uphold. But Redhead found his favorite activities to be frowned upon by society (and sometimes the law).

So he usually hung around less populated areas such as the outskirts of town and in Routes, where he would most likely go unnoticed, along with the crowd of "friends" he sometimes brought with him.

The group included and was not limited to thieves, pickpockets, muggers, extortionists and overall criminals. Coincidentally, some of Redhead's favorite activities included thieving, pickpocketing, mugging and overall criminal activity.

And on that particular day, using a defenseless Purrloin for target practice. Which happened to have crossed his path with that of the fledgling Trainer known as William Grey.

Had he simply picked a separate location or begun his despicable training session at a later time, he could have prevented the unfolding of events in such a way that would result in him getting hit in the face by something hard and metal.

But more on that later.

At the moment, or rather a few moments prior, he had been hit in the face by something hot and intangible. If the pins-and-needles sensation you got when a limb fell asleep was multiplied by twenty, coupled with the force of a small car accelerating to the speed of light was weaponized, taking a Psywave attack would be comparable to that feeling.

Dazed and confused, Redhead's right hand rapidly and shakily sloshed through the water like that of a blind man as he searched for his Pokèballs. He had felt them detach from his belt when he had splashed into the river. His eyes were no good at the minute anyway, seeing as his vision was that of a bespectacled youngster on a merry-go-round.

"Mwuuuuh…" he moaned, his tongue numb and tasting of copper, "Muhm gthonna khel th-that kthid…"

A person in his position of laying incoherently in a small brook may not have credibly been able to make those threats, and his physical prowess over both Will and Bianca was truly neutralized by his handicap.

But that did not apply to his Pokémon. So when he finally wrapped a soaking hand over the chilly surface of the submerged Ultra Ball, his threats became a reality.

His meaty forefinger jammed the Pokèball's center button with furious force, and the capsule sprung open. In a flash, Redhead was no longer the only bulky and intimidating being in the water.

The two key differences between the two being that one was a Pokémon, and it was also not near unconscious.

It was a midsized bipedal covered in puffy pink veins, two of which were much thicker than the rest and formed rings around his shoulders like thick coils of rope. It was covered in a short and coarse layer of grew fur that grew much puffier atop its head and forming an impressive afro, though not nearly impressive as that of a Bouffalant. Protruding from its face was a round maroon nose not too unlike a clown's.

Despite this last circus-esque feature, this new Pokémon was all business. Its bulging muscles and the steel beam it hefted above its head proved this.

"Dur," it honked, turning towards its Trainer for orders. It was shocked to find its commander lying defeated in the brook, belly up like a broken Magikarp. Flustered, it turned quickly towards Cell and the trapped Purrloin. Its gears were spinning, but the Pokémon just couldn't seem to put two and two together. It simply could not comprehend the reality of the fact that the Boss had been sent flat on his whatsis by a green basketball and a household kitty.

"Gurdurr, ghet em…" moaned Redhead, weakly raising an arm to point at Cell and the Purrloin before it flopped back into the water with a pathetic splash.

Gurdurr immediately flew into a blind rage. Anything the Boss told him was worth smashing was to be smashed and that was that. Gurdurr knew not why he ever smashed a lot of the things that the Boss told him to smash.

But that was still enough for Gurdurr. The Boss was the one who told him and the other Pokémon what to do. That meant he must have known what he was talking about.

The steel pillar dropped into the crook of Gurdurr's arm and he cradled it like a baseball bat. Lowering his head, Gurdurr charged like a football player towards his targets with no particular plan in mind other than "smash."

Cell noticed the sudden slab of grey meat with a side of steel approaching and panicked. Gurdurr was big and tough but he was slow, and Cell had more time than he would initially assume, but he panicked nonetheless.

"So solo los!" he barked at the Pokémon he was attempting to flee, floating urgently closer to its head. _Do you think you could help me out a little here?_

Purrloin rolled her eyes at the hapless rescuer and nonchalantly began to lick her paw. "Parrr…" she mewed in between strokes of the tongue. _I thought you were working on that with those fancy moves of yours._

Cell's eyes flared in anger. _You little ingrate! That attack took a lot out of me, you know! I'm trying to help you!_

"Parrr par…" _Well, I didn't ask you to knock that human down, nor did I ask you to help me. If I had to pick a preferred favor I would have picked this one, but it seems you're a bit incapable of either…_

"So solo!" That was the last straw for Cell. He lifted himself higher in the air so that he could get a better angle of glaring down at Purrloin. _I'm not wasting my Trainer's diversion! _

"Parrr…" purred the Purrloin, stretching out on the ground. _See, _that's _the only thing you seem to be doing a good job at…_

"SO-"

_DOOOOOOOONG!_

Cell felt a sudden breeze to his side and just briefly caught the blur of red whizzing by his body. This was accompanied soon after by a thud and the sound of crumbling.

Amidst his heated argument with Purrloin, Cell had been distracted completely from the charging Gurdurr. Luckily for him, Gurdurr were renowned for their aim as much as Trubbish were renowned for their pleasant smells.

Cell had naturally been Gurdurr's first target since he was in plain few. Creatures with plain minds often acted in plain ways. But its aforementioned off-par targeting capabilities resulted in its missing of Cell by nearly half a meter.

Gurdurr knew he had made contact with something, however, which made it happy. Smashing had been ordered and smashing had been carried out. What he did _not _know was that the Boss would _not _be happy about what he had hit.

With strength that a beaten Pokémon had no business possessing, Purrloin leapt away from the gravel that had once entrapped it and landed a good two yards from Gurdurr and Cell, hunkered down in a crouched position. It's grin was that of both a predator and a tricky mind.

Gurdurr was far too slow to understand of course, but Cell put together the pieces quickly. He moved quickly back to anger.

"S-so solos!" he squeaked, trying to hide his embarrassment but not his frustration. _You used me as bait! Why didn't you tell me I was bait!?_

"Parr parrr." _Well, if I had, you wouldn't have stood nice and still, now would you?_

"Solos!" _Why you little-_

Without another word, the Purrloin turned and scampered away, stopping only once it was at the edge of the treeline. It winked at Cell.

"Par parrrr," she said, giving her paw one last victory lick. _Thanks for the help, Blobby, but I've got an appointment with Somewhere Other Than Here. Toodles!_

Turning in one fluid motion, Purrloin hunkered down further to leap away, but faltered once she place weight on her hind legs and let out a sharp mew of pain. Cell looked closer and noticed her weak stance, as well as his misshapen tail. Her tail had been crushed by the weight of the boulder, and her muscles were sore from the ours of sitting still and being tugged on.

Cell nearly drifted forth to help her, quickly remembering that she had betrayed him and stopping. Will would have opposed his holding back on charity towards a Pokémon in need. But then again, Cell knew for a fact that if another human had betrayed Will, then Will too would hesitate.

It may have taken him longer to deliberate, but it then hit Cell. Hard on the head.

The momentary hesitation had given Gurdurr just enough time to yank his beam out of the soil, in which it had been firmly implanted. Had Will been present, the Trainer might have been beset by how a Fighting-Type attack had knocked Cell out in just one hit, but would have then figured out the vast level gap between Cell and Gurdurr.

Most likely in the form of taunting from Redhead.

Cell dropped to the ground, unconscious. His predicament earned not even a backwards glance from Purrloin as she recovered from her slip and hopped straight into the brush and out of danger. She would be having none of that.

"Dur dur durrr!" chortled the Muscular Pokémon as he stood over his victim and bounced his steel beam atop his shoulder with glee. The Boss would be very pleased with his work.

Speaking of which, a series of trickles and splashes reached the ears of Gurdurr from behind and he immediately swiveled around. The Boss, looking significantly less disheveled but still dazed, was rising from the brook. His wet shirt hugged his admirably muscular frame and his long red hair hung in a clump at the back of his neck.

Slowly he began to stagger towards the unconscious Solosis, his normally dull eyes sparkling now with malice and contempt. Which did not help with the fact that he still couldn't see straight.

Gurdurr stepped respectfully to the side and picked up a sudden interest in the mud as the Boss walked by. The Boss never liked it when him or the other Pokémon looked him in the eyes.

Growling, Redhead reached down and grabbed Cell like a bowling ball, his meaty hands curling and sinking his fingers into Cell's semipermeable shell.

"Nobody…makes a Mankey outta me," he hissed to the comatose Pokémon. "Nobody…"

His heavy boots sank deep into the mud as he tromped through the soggy peat and earth of the riverbank. No more than five yards to his left was a set of tracks set in the mud, two to be precise. One belonged to a sneakered human who seemed to be rather light on his feet, and the others were triangular indents that came in threes. Clearly, Boldore had chased the runt in that direction.

Redhead sincerely hoped Boldore left the kid at least a bit coherent. Because he wanted the kid to hear his own jaw crack when Gurdurr's beam detached it from his face.

And whilst hiding in the bushes at a safe distance, still present but out of harm's way, Purrloin sincerely hoped that the redheaded Trainer did not return.

Deep down and insincerely though, she wished that there was something she could have done.

…

Little did anyone notice, a small coalition of humans nearby was busy departing their own course of action. The three had remained eerily silent the whole time as they watched the situation unfold from Will's arrival to the departure of a livid Darren Drew. Yet unlike other onlookers, they had not yet selfishly made up their minds and decided to remain neutral.

That much remained to be seen.

"We should really step in," suggested one of them, a male leaned up against a tree, in a low voice, "Drew isn't going to be gentle with that poor kid.

Another one, this time a woman, shook her head. "Preposterous. We did what we came here for."

"We came here to stick it to Drew," the man gruffly asserted, tapping the three Pokèballs strapped to his belt.

"We came here to free the Purrloin," corrected the woman in an acid tone, finger pointed to the rubble that had once been a small boulder. "Guess what? It's free. So now we can go. We'll get a demerit if we dilly-dally. Besides, I don't want to be late for the-"

The man straightened up. "We won't miss the speech."

"That's not the point, Walt! We-"

Walt shushed her, waving his hands rapidly in a downward motion. He peeked tentatively around the tree to see if anyone had heard them. The clearing remained empty and occupied only by the gentle sound of the brook's babbling water chatting with the forest breeze. Content, he straightened back up.

"Saving Purrloin was our assignment. You're more than right on that one, Lex. That may have been our _assignment_, but what's our _mission?_"

Lex sighed, knowing she had once again let Walter checkmate her with his loopholes. "'Our mission is of the highest order, the holiest mandate'" she recited blandly, "'We, the chosen few-'"

"'-have set out to protect and set free Pokémon-kind from the sins of Man,'" finished Walter. "That's the Oath, Lex. I swore it. You swore it. Octavia swore it. We all did. We came here to protect Purrloin but at the moment, it ain't the only Pokémon that needs protecting. Drew didn't look like he was planning on taking that Solosis out for ice cream, and I bet you a hundred dollars that if that kid has any more Pokémon, they'll be in for the same 'treat.'"

Arms folded, Lex tapped her elbows whilst deliberating furiously. On one hand, her superiors would be miffed if the three of them returned from their mission late. _Especially_ if they missed the event that was scheduled for later that day. On the other hand, the brass would be furious if they found out a Pokémon had been harmed whilst Lex and her companions had the knowledge and proximity to prevent it.

Lex let out a defeated puff of air and let her arms swing down to her sides. "Fine, fine, whatever. I'll go warn that kid of Drew, and-"

"Uh-uh," interjected Walt, "You're in a rush, so you're going to do it sloppily. I know you, Lexie. You want to get back to base ASAP and give White the ol' 'Mission Done'."

She shrugged. Walter wasn't wrong.

"So? What's your point?"

"You and I go lead Drew off of the trail," he suggested, standing up straight and brushing the wet bark off of his palms, "He's dangerous, so I don't think Octavia should be foolin' around with him. Plus she's much lighter on her feet than either of us. She'd be better off warning the kid." Walter turned around completely to where the third member of their party had been huddling silently for the duration of their stay. "Whaddya say, Tavi? Up for it?"

"I-I guess…" mumbled the timid girl, twirling a strand of her honey blond hair around a finger.

Octavia was never the talkative type. This was a fact that Walter and anyone else who knew her could easily discern from spending five minutes with her. Initially she had suspected that Octavia joined their group for the same reason many others had: to find a place where she could belong. Walter very quickly found out that Octavia didn't see the organization as a social club; far from it. Whether or not she joined because she believed in their tenets or that she was just in it for the thrills remained to be seen.

Walt clapped his hands together. "Alright then, team. Let's get a move-on."

"Whatever," grumbled Lex, unclipping a Pokèball from her belt and following Walt into the brush.

Seeing her two companions depart from her company, Octavia initially tensed as she came to the realization that she was now alone. Noticing this, Walt tossed a smile over his shoulder at the younger girl. "Hey, Octavia?"

"Y-yeah…?"

"You'll be fine. I believe in you, kiddo. Good luck."

"Good-d luck. L-long live the King."

He nodded. "Long live King. Now get to that kid. I think he could really use some help right about now."

* * *

**I'm baaaaaack! As the C-Sec officer at the main gate of the Citadel in Mass Effect 2 would say: "Sorry for the inconvenience, sir." **

**Or madam.**

**The reason I was absent was because of some complications in my schedule, most of which have now cleared up! Many of my obligations are no longer a concern for the foreseeable future, meaning that I have much more time to write and get this story back on track! One of the reasons this chapter was shorter was the others, which I promise wont be the norm, was because I have to just kinda get my notes (and my schedule) back in order. So I promise that this story's schedule will get back on track, but I do still have a life outside of FF, so other delays cannot be completely ruled out.**

**Also, I decided to change the chapter title from what I said it would be due to a pun from Cm25. So you can thank him for that one XD**

**But in the event you are without anything to read due to a delay of this story or maybe another, or that you're bored or in between chapters or whatever you will, I've decided to start a Community on FF that features awesome OC driven Pokemon fics! It's called "Awesome OC Driven Pokemon Fics!" I've read a lot of different types of Fanfictions, mainly Pokemon of course, but I find that my favorites are those where a character created by the author is put in the driver's seat of stories we already know, or perhaps new ones. So go check out the Community; the stories I've added there so far are some of my favorites! If you have any suggestions of fics you like and think should be added, send me a PM and I'll take a look! **

**Now back to Excelsior business! What will become of the now free Purrloin? What will happen to Cell? And who are the mysterious trio setting out to save Will? All this and more next time on:**

_**Chapter 9: Without a Trace**_

**Hm, yeah, there seems to be some minor game announced by Nintendo. No big deal or anything, it's just HOENN CONFIRMED! No joke this time, fellas: Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby have been confirmed for a November release. The fandom is ablaze as of late with this news, and for people like me who-even though Hoenn wasn't exactly my favorite region-got into Pokemon around this time, this is a welcome walk down memory lane. So, the Reader Question is quite simply: What are your thoughts? Are you happy? Disappointed? Elated beyond words?**

**Sorry for the wordy A/N. I seem to do those a lot after some missed time...yeah, I'm generally a very wordy person XD **

**Please leave a review if ya can. Nothing motivates me to improve this story more than a few reviews in my inbox :) I promise I'll never be one of those authors who wont update until they get a lot of reviews, but they sure do help the story out and I appreciate every one! So drop one and I'll see you next week (for sure)!**


	10. Without a Trace

**Chapter 9: Without a Trace**

* * *

**Unova, Route 1**

* * *

"You guys couldn't have come a second sooner!" declared Will as he stood and brushed himself off, "As you can see, I could really use some help right about now!"

Bianca giggled. "I thought so."

"Osha osha!" concurred Rocket, excitedly jumping up and down next to his Trainer's leg.

Will smiled down at the jumpy little creature, elated by the amount of excitement Rocket seemed to have gotten from helping his Trainer. Put plainly and simply, it was heartwarming.

"Wait, speaking of 'help', how did you know where to find me. In fact, how did you even know I was in trouble?" inquired Will, scratching at his forehead. The campsite he had shared with Bianca had been located far off the main path and a decent distance from the site itself. And the fact that she and Rocket had shown up at just the right time seemed odd if not entirely convenient to Will.

"I dunno…" mumbled Bianca, fiddling with the hem of her white skirt. Out the corner of his eye, Will couldn't help but notice a brown grease stain peeking out from under Bianca's skirt. There was a similar such stain on her side.

He let out a disgruntled sigh. "You tried to cook my food, didn't you…"

"I didn't know how to start the bacon…" she quickly conceded.

"What's to start!? You light a fire and-" Will stopped himself from a long and heated grilling (no pun intended) and just facepalmed instead. "Listen, I'm glad you came. I'll make you breakfast when we get back-"

"Yay!"

"-but for now, how about we deal with _that_!?"

Will pointed sharply to Boldore. The synthetic life form was slowly dislodging itself from the ground like a sentient missile that was priming itself to fire once again. And Will had a vague idea of where its target would be.

Bianca gave a crisp salute and hopped down from the log, nearly slipping as her feet touched the moist ground. "You can count on me, _mon capitaine_! Tepig, leeeeeet's go~!"

From what seemed to be out of thin air, Bianca produced the gleaming red and white Pokèball belonging to Tepig. The Fire Pig Pokémon appeared, ready and rearing to fight, before Will could express his many concerns with Bianca's actions.

"Bianca!" he protested, "Tepig is a Fire-Type! It's at a disadvantage!"

Smiling, Bianca rolled her eyes. "I know, silly! That's why I'm going to use a different Type of attack! Tepig, use Tackle!"

"Peg peg!"

Tepig dug his tiny black heels into the ground and charged headlong at Boldore. The Ore Pokémon had now fully righted itself and stood well balanced on its tripod of legs. It stared at Tepig's attack as if it were the single dumbest thing that Boldore had ever laid eye on.

It was pretty high up there for Will as well.

He sighed. "Bianca, Tackle won't do much either. It's a Normal-Type attack…"

"Oh…" she mumbled, blushing and rubbing her hands together. "Whoopsie…"

Even in realizing her mistake, however, Bianca failed to address the matter of Tepig's doomed maneuver. The small orange Pokémon continued to obey its Trainer and going through with the Tackle attack. Which, for the record, amounted to a big pile of nothing.

Tepig neared its final stretch and leapt headfirst at Boldore. Its soft head impacted Boldore's solid body with a pathetic _THUNK! _Tepig awkwardly slid down to the ground and staggered backwards, dazed from the impact of its own attack. Boldore remained still, glaring at Tepig with contempt.

Tackle's overall damage racked up to an amazing count of roughly nil but did succeed in doing something: pushing Boldore to the limit of its very limited patience.

"Dor dor dor!" it growled, its two front legs stamping into the ground like buttons of a typewriter. Rocks began to drift upwards from the pounding earth and began to pool in front of Boldore's now glowing eye.

Will remembered what his Pokèdex had informed him on Boldore's abilities and panicked. "Bianca!" he shouted, whipping around towards the shell-shocked blonde, "It's using Rock Blast! Tell Tepig to-"

Too late. Boldore reared back and launched the earthy projectile at the teetering Tepig. Rock Blast's impact elicited a pained squeak from Tepig, causing Will himself to flinch. The poor swine was launched through the air like an orange football as tiny clumps of dirt and rock rained down from its body.

"Tepig! I've got you, sweetie!" Arms outstretched, Bianca ran forward and caught the beleaguered Pokémon in her arms. She immediately cuddled him close to her bosom like he was her own child.

"Stay back!" ordered Will, eager to urge Bianca out of the fight, "You don't have any Pokémon left! Let Rocket and I handle this!"

"A-actually I have another Pokémon…" Bianca reached into her bag with one hand whilst still supporting Tepig with the other. Will's jaw dropped as, sure enough, she produced another Pokèball. Bianca tapped the button with her thumb and out popped a Lillipup, who immediately let out a yip of surprise after getting a good look at Boldore and scampering behind Bianca's skirt.

_I honestly don't believe this, _thought Will, much more beside himself than he deserved to be, _Bianca is beating me on "Number of Pokémon Caught!" I'm in last place!_

He jogged himself out of the thought. There was no time for poor-sportsmanship. "Regardless," he told Bianca with a huff, "Lillipup is still a Normal-Type and probably doesn't know any useful moves like Dig or Ice Fang yet." He noted Lillipup still cowering behind Bianca's leg. "Besides, he-"

"She," corrected Bianca.

"_-she _doesn't look like she wants to fight that badly. Leave this to Rocket and I." _At least_ _he'll have no shortage of enthusiasm…_

"Osha osha!" cried Rocket, wholeheartedly agreeing with Will. His scalchop was already clasped firmly in one of his paws and he looked ready and rearing to disobey Will's next order in favor of Razor Shell.

But Will remembered that Boldore could use Iron Defense, a powerful shielding attack that could make most physical moves, even super-effective ones, significantly less effective. Ranged attacks like Water Gun would be an asset in combating a higher-level Pokémon like Boldore.

It seemed that it was time for a pep-talk. Dropping down to one knee, Will clasped Rocket's shoulders to ensure that the rambunctious little Starter didn't look away or get distracted while he talked to it. He suspected there wasn't much time until Boldore, dim as it was, formulated another attack.

"Listen to me, buddy. I know you're excited for this battle-"

"Oshawa!" he interrupted, throwing his paws into the air. _You know I am!_

"Right, right, right…" Will leaned in to whisper into Rocket's ear. A sly idea had formed in his mind. A tactic he and his older sister often used to fool Cassie had come to mind and Will had high hopes for it to work on Rocket. "You know, I heard that Bianca thinks your Water Gun attack is weak…"

"Wott!?" Rocket threw his scalchop down onto the ground in disgust. His tiny fangs poked out of his mouth as he shook with rage.

Will grinned. It was working like a charm. "Yeah, I know! Ridiculous, right?" He waved his hand dismissively as the act continued. "They said you probably couldn't even do super-effective damage on Rock-Types. I mean, how could an attack possibly be that weak?" Will leaned back in satisfaction; the icing would put _itself_ on the cake.

"SHAWAAAA!" Rocket had heard enough. He wrangled himself out of Will's grasp and swiveled around with his chest puffed out like an enraged Empoleon. Will backed up and waited for the magic to happen.

Rocket leaned back, his tiny chest puffing out even further. Boldore had yet to move, thus giving Rocket and even better target. His cheeks puffed out as the gusher of water welled up within him. Finally, he let loose.

"Bol-DWOOOOOR!" Boldore has seen the attack coming but could do nothing to dodge it. The stream of water impacted smack-dab in Boldore's face, right in between his most vital point the center of his eyes. Boldore began to sway, seeming like it might fall over.

Will's breath caught in his throat. He clenched his clammy hands together; if he were in a seat, he would have been on the edge of it. Bianca too was kept hanging on the conclusion of the battle. Had she actually said any of the nasty things Will had made up, they would have been taken back in an instant.

"Booool…DOR!"

Both humans gasped as Boldore suddenly twitched to the left and righted itself firmly on its tripod of legs. It showed little sign of damage and was now standing stiff and back in its original position. Only this time it looked even madder than before.

Again, Will's plan had totaled up to a whole lot of nothing.

The orange crystals lining its back began to vivaciously take in light. A cannon shot of energy blasted from Boldore's eye and straight for Will and Bianca.

"Power Gem! Get down!"

Will grabbed Rocket and hit the dirt, quite literally, on his belly. Taken by surprise, Bianca tried to step backwards but tripped over Lillipup, causing her to fall down on her posterior with Tepig still hugged tight to her chest. Fortunately at least, it meant she was safe from Boldore.

Power Gem impacted a rotting tree to Will's six 'o clock. The dead oak burst into steaming fragments of cooked wood and wet bark, the debris raining down on Will and Bianca.

"Th-that was so powerful! How do we fight that!" shrieked Bianca in fear, pulling her barrette down over her eyes and shivering in the dirt.

_I don't know_, was all that Will could think of responding with. But he had to be strong for Bianca. Lillipup was already in a panic due to the sorry state of her Trainer. If Will did not remain an anchor in the situation, the other Pokémon would fly into a panic.

_C'mon, Grey! Think! How can you stop this thing! _Will almost considered whipping out his Pokèdex and searching for a solution, but he was a bit strapped for time and doubted the encyclopedia would sport a "How to Easily Beat This Thing You're Having Trouble With" app for easy on-the-fly usage.

But he had been able to effectively utilize its information before! So surely he could do it again. Panicked, Will began to rack his mind on what knowledge he could use to bring down Boldore. With Pokémon at levels as low as his, Will knew that he wouldn't be able to do it conventionally.

He began mentally sifting through information in a panic."N-now let's see…um, uh…it lives in caves…that's not helpful right now." Will gulped, his throat beginning to dry. "There was something about being related to Magnemite or something…"

Across the clearing, Boldore was readying another Power Gem heedless of Will's readiness. The first one had been very premature and fired blindly out of rage, which resulted in Boldore being a bit more taxed than it would have been regularly. Nevertheless, it stabbed its two forelegs into the ground and began to suck in energy through its crystals to charge another shot.

"Osha, osha!" urged Rocket, tugging on Will's pant leg.

"Yeah, I know!" he hastily responded, now beginning to stress into a panic. Will never did good under harsh time constraints, and impending doom was one heck of a time constraint. "Uh, uh…energy something-or-other…leaked energy forms crystals…can unleash massive bursts in-"

Will shuddered as electricity tingled up his spine. _That's it! _Two words came together in joyous matrimony in Will's mind: _leak _and _burst_. Boldores weren't the only things that could leak and burst. From firsthand experience during a very unfortunate (and wet) summer's evening a few years back he had learned that pipes too were very capable of leaking. And he had also learned that, when stopped up, they could burst.

_If I clog the flow of energy somehow, it explodes right in Boldore's face! But how do I-_

Rocket tugged more urgently on Will's pants. "Osha!"

Snapped out of his concentration, Will looked back up. Energy was already being formed in Boldore's eye. Soon, it would be primed and ready to fire. Only this time the attack would be at peak efficiency.

Bianca whimpered and hugged her Pokémon closer. She noticed both the coming attack and Will's own panic. Up to that point, Will had undervalued her codependence on Cheren as an anchor in the toughest of situations.

And that thought was just what Will needed. The thought of being second to Cheren to spur him onward.

_Think fast, think fast! What would Cheren do!? Cheren wouldn't just let me win and throw his victory aw-_

_-throw._

_THROW!_

"ROCKET, USE RAZOR SHELL!" ordered Will as his right hand clamped around the furry Pokémon and he hurled him at Boldore.

Overwhelmed with excitement at hearing the magical words of "Razor" and "Shell", Oshawott let out his tiny battle cry and activated his Razor Shell, the light of the blue blade streaking through the air with Oshawott from the force of Will's throw. Rocket raised the glowing shell over his head liked a battleaxe as he quickly descended towards Boldore.

Just as it was ready to fire.

_CHINK!_

_BA-DWOOOOOOOM!_

A brief flash of orange coupled with a tense cloud of smoke exploded from Boldore's face, sending the ore Pokémon careening back. Rocket too was sent flying from the force of the explosion, rolling head over heels backwards.

And for just a moment, everything was silent. No more stamping. No more humming. No more panicked breathing. Just the realization that Will had just single-handedly taken down a superior foe.

Slowly yet surely, the truth hit him. Stunned in place, a smile began creeping across Will's face.

"I…I did it…" he murmured at first to himself, and then to the prone form of Bianca, "Bianca, I did it!"

"Hm?" She peeked her head out from behind her arms and did a quick survey of the land. No more raging Boldores. That was good enough for her.

"Hooray!" Bianca leapt up into the air and clicked her heels together. Lilipup yipped excitedly. "You did it! You did it, you did it!"

Snickering, Will made his way to Rocket. "Well let's be fair. I didn't hurtle suddenly through the air and perform a precision Razor Shell attack." He knelt down and helped Rocket onto his feet, dusting the dazed Sea Otter off. "Sorry about the surprise, buddy. I kinda had to think fast there."

"Osha waa!" exclaimed Rocket in contrast to being cross with Will for using him as a projectile. Rocket's smile resembled a rodent version of what a young boy would look like after his first rollercoaster ride.

"Glad you're okay, buddy." Will stood and looked over to where Boldore had once stood. Triangular indents and dislodged rocks still dotted the small rocky mound but featured one less Boldore. Further into the background he spotted three orange crystalline tips.

Slowly, Will crept towards the mound. He motioned for Bianca and Rocket to stay behind; her Pokémon were still in no shape to fight and Rocket was near helpless without his scalchop. If Boldore still posed a threat, it would be Will who should take the backlash since his less-than-genius strategy put it in the position in the first place.

Something glimmered at the bottom of Will's peripheral vision. Sure enough, Rocket's scalchop had become dislodged from Boldore's crystalline eye socket during the explosion and had landed on the other side of the mound. Will pocketed it and laid eyes on the motionless and upside-down Boldore.

"Not so tough now, are ya?" Will murmured with a touch of bitterness. He knew deep down that the blame for the poor Purrloin mercilessly used for target practice rested on the shoulders of Redhead. But at the same time he could not just exonerate Boldore of any wrongdoing, especially towards himself and Bianca. "Now what am I supposed to do with you…"

Will toed a small nearby rock with a bit of force, causing it to gently impact Boldore's side. The tall boy leapt back and let out a yelp of surprise as the Pokémon's three stony legs began to flail like a Spinarak's.

"D-dor! Dor!" it wailed, its voice muffled by the earth. Its body shook rapidly back as it tried to dislodge itself.

"Huh?" For the briefest moment, Will thought, Boldore's voice sounded different. Before it had been gruff and indignant. But now it almost seemed timid and afraid. Not too unlike how Lillipup had sounded moments ago.

_On one hand, it wouldn't be fair to leave the poor guy here, _Will argued to himself as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. _Then again, it _did _just attempt to murder us all…_

Coming to one final decision, Will let out a disgruntled sigh. "I'd better go to heaven for this…"

Will bent over and placed both of his hands flat on Boldore's body. Head? Side? Whatever you'd call the flank of a creature who's entire body _was _its body. Sucking in one quick breath, Will began to heave with all his might.

He could feel his sneakers sliding slowly backwards in the moist ground. The ground was to wet and loose to get any good footing. But this worked twofold with one side being in his advantage. Because of the ground's saturation, Boldore was becoming dislodged faster. Will could feel the heavy Pokémon tipping in the other direction.

"C'mon…you big lug…get…UP!" As stated previous, Will was not physically impressive beyond his stamina. Stamina did not count for much when attempting to heave an enormous Pokémon out of the ground, or so it seemed.

Giving one last heave containing the very last of his might, Will hunched his shoulders and in doing so put the icing on the cake. Boldore teetered onto its other side with a heavy slam. The sudden absence of a Boldore to push against left Will to fall face first into the mud.

"De-lightful…" moaned Will as he lie degenerately in the muck for just a moment before pushing himself up onto his knees. He wiped the grime off of his face to the best degree that he could and reoriented himself while Boldore did the same.

Bianca approached from behind with Lillipup silently following and Tepig still cradled in her arms. She stood atop the small mound in silence and watched both Will and Boldore, Lillipup still quivering between her legs. Rocket toddled up behind them and observed as well, too shell-shocked to intervene. For the moment, looking on sufficed.

"S-so what now…" Bianca whimpered, gulping.

"Guess that's up to him…" Will motioned to Boldore. The Ore Pokémon had yet to make a single advance on either of them. Or look at all threatening. In fact, it had yet to even grunt.

Giving a sudden shudder like a machine that's switch had just been flipped, Boldore began to move and swivel around. Bianca let out a yelp and jumped back, ending her up now behind Lillipup, who began to bark at the seemingly docile Rock-Type.

Will grit his teeth and prepared for the worst as well. His hand dropped to his belt as if to grab a Pokèball from one of its links. He gripped emptiness and swore to himself. _Well, blast it all…_

Tension hung hot in the air for a moment, hotter than Boldore's furious Power Gem. Two adversaries stood face to rocky face, parallel to each other. Will with his hand hovering above his hip and Boldore maintaining a blank and almost dopey stare. Had a tumbleweed decided to roll by and a western confrontational whistle pierced the air, it could have been a cowboy standoff.

Suddenly, Boldore made its move.

In a surprising and deeply terrifying twist…Boldore blinked.

Will squinted his eyes to closer scrutinize Boldore. "Is…is that it? Is that all you're gonna do?"

"Bol dor?" grunted Boldore. _Do what? I'm not very good at tricks._

Now, Will was no Pokémon scientist-that was Professor Juniper-but as a person who had spent his whole life around Pokémon, be they his mother's, sister's or his own, Will was able to form base skills in determining whether or not a Pokémon was utterly confused.

For the record, Boldore was.

Bianca, who was cowering behind the mound of dirt, was disturbed by the lull and poked her head out from behind cover, Lillipup and Rocket rising up with her.

"Why isn't it attacking?" she wondered aloud. She got up onto her feet, being extra careful with supporting Tepig, and walked over to Will's side. Said Trainer thoughtfully stroked his chin as he studied Boldore with less suspicion than was intrigue.

"Couldn't tell ya," he answered rather basely, hands dropping to his side, "But Boldore _did _take a small explosion to the face. Small explosions to the face do tend to leave some strange effects. Like chronic loss of face. Or in the case of a Pokémon with a rock-hard face, amnesia."

"Dor dor dor!" Boldore cheered happily. _I don't know what that word means!_

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Will rolled his right shoulder, experimenting with the soreness he had obtained from hitting the ground a bit too hard when dodging Boldore's attack. News flash: it still hurt. "Let's go find Cell. If all went as planned and he freed that Purrloin, he should be hiding somewhere nearby."

Another might have expressed surprise when Will so quickly forgot about the Boldore debacle that had nearly claimed his life only moments ago. But a million Boldores couldn't distract Will from his most important prerogative as of yet on his journey: protecting the being that had been there for him through thick and thin, Cell.

"I don't hear any noises from over there," said Bianca, softly.

"Maybe that mook is still unconscious and Cell got away. Who knows." Will started heading in the direction he had fled when Boldore was chasing him. "The most important thing now is finding Cell and getting back to our camp."

Bianca stood still, furrowing her brows. "But what about Boldore?"

A bit confused, Will checked over his shoulder. True, he had forgotten about Boldore but at the same time had not expected it to be where it was at that moment: following him. Boldore plodded along gently behind Will much like how Lillipup followed Bianca: forlorn and adorable.

As adorable as a rock monster could get.

Will sighed. "Well, I guess I can't just tell it to shoo…" He shrugged and took the indirect path. "Oh well. We'll figure it out later."

Later, Will would have a _lot _of figuring out to do…

…

"What…I…where…Cell!?"

Back and forth, Will's head whipped frantically in search of his spherical friend. He, Bianca and the ever-persistent Boldore had returned to the clearing where they had departed from the company of Cell and Redhead and found…absolutely nothing.

All he had found so far was an empty Pokèball in the river, which he hypothesized belonged to Boldore, but other than that there were no clues of particular usefulness.

Nothing to indicate where anyone had gone, that is. Nothing other than a small pile of pebbles where the boulder had once been and a few tufts of purple fur snagged on a solitary bush.

Redhead, the Purrloin, and most importantly, Cell, had all vanished seemingly in a puff of smoke.

Bianca nervously bit down on her knuckle as she watched Will fruitlessly search, checking through bushes and literally leaving no stone unturned. His search seemed to her both touching and vain. The Trainer's love and dedication towards his missing partner was nothing less than moving, and at the same time was experiencing a heartbreak of her own.

Never in her life had Bianca made a solid claim grounded in reality that she was undisputedly right about a given fact. In that particular instance, however, she dared to make this distinct claim.

She knew that William Grey would not find Cell here.

"M-maybe Lillipup could find Cell with his scent?" Bianca nervously suggested, trying to ease the situation.

Will wouldn't have any of that. Not addressing her, he simply shook his head and moved from one shrub to the next, searching within. "No, wouldn't work. I don't have any samples from Cell for Lillipup to sniff. If we don't give it a specific target, we'll have no idea what we're following."

"But-"

"No, it would just be a waste of time." Will pushed the bush's branches apart and peered inside. Nothing. He disgruntledly got to his feet and cursed under his breath. "Blast it all…where could he be…"

Bianca gulped. Will was beginning to scare her. "Well, what if we left the clearing and-"

Will snapped around, a blaze igniting in his deep blue eyes. "And what!? Pick one of _eight _cardinal directions and go on a gut feeling? Don't forget we're in a forest too, so we'd have to think three dimensionally…" He clasped his head in frustration, his fingers curling into claws. "Agh, we'll _never _find him at this rate!"

"Will, calm down," urged Bianca, who was on the verge of tears, "If you just relax you'll be able to focus more and-"

"Focus more!? The only thing I need to do more of right now is search, and your little _suggestions _aren't helping with that!" Will stomped over to the rubble of Purrloin's boulder and began another hopeless sift through.

Bianca's small hands dropped to her sides and balled up into fists. She wasn't getting mad, per say. Bianca hardly ever got mad. She had experience with people being difficult and refusing or rejecting her help in the past, Cheren serving as the prime example. However, there was a difference between Will and Cheren in their reluctance to cooperate just as there had been in their battle strategies: whereas Cheren was more knowing and forewent assistance in favor of his own styles and knowledge, Will was just plain stubborn.

Cheren never got angry the way that Will did. And so Bianca never reacted to Cheren the way she did to Will. With Cheren, she knew that the best outcome would always come from his methods.

But Will was an uncertainty. An enigma, as Cheren might say. And while Bianca considered herself a decent judge of character, she had only known Will for a few days. Whether his stubbornness could help or harm himself remained to be seen.

And so Bianca was not mad or frustrated. Only worried. Bianca sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils and, with shoulders raised, marched towards Will. She placed a hand on his shoulder and was surprised to find it shaking.

Was it rage? Or was it fear.

"Will," she said softly into his ear, and his movements became slightly less frantic, "I'm just here to help you. We're friends, remember? We'll find Cell eventually, I know it. But we'll find him faster and easier if you just let me help."

"Help!? I haven't seen you do much _helping_! All you've…all I…I…" Will's head hung low and he let out a defeated sigh, resting his bleeding palms on his knees. Bianca could tell he was beginning to resign his anger. "Bianca…I'm sorry…I-"

"No need to explain. You've lost someone close to you." Bianca stood straight and smiled, pointing to herself. "But you've got me to help find him. And Tepig and Lillipup!"

"Osha osha!" declared Rocket, waving his scalchop in the air, still gleefully oblivious to Cell's aversion to him. _Count me in, too!_

"Dor bol dor!" agreed Boldore.

Bianca giggled. "And them, too!"

Again, Will sighed. He permanently put to rest all of the rage within him and reluctantly backed down from anger. Will had never been a very patient person. Nor had he been a forgiving one. Truth be told, he wanted Redhead in front of him at that very moment so that he could tear the man's arm off and beat him with it like a bass drum. Will felt that he had lost everything; he had lost his best, oldest, closest and only friend.

But of course, Bianca was there to remind him that he did in fact have more friends. And they were more than willing to help him. A strange and foreign feeling to him.

Will turned over his shoulder. Bianca's bright smile warded away the coldness he had brought upon himself and bid him to calm as her words had failed to do. Brushing himself off, Will got up to his feet.

"I…I guess you're right," he admitted, "It's just…Day One on my own in this Journey thing and I've already lost my best friend because of my own _stupid _negligence!"

He harshly kicked a nearby rock, causing it to clatter into the river. Bianca lurched forward and grabbed his arm, as it seemed he had been about to move.

"Will, stop it! It wasn't your fault! You're not stupid and you're not negalent." Bianca pursed her lips as she tried to pronounce the difficult word. "Negligant? Negli…negla…never mind! You were acting selflessly to help that poor little Purrloin that couldn't help itself!"

"I guess I was…" mumbled Will, feeling too ashamed to even look Bianca in the eyes anymore.

She smiled. "Right! And do you think Cell would have listened to you and did what he did if _he _didn't trust you and realize this?"

Will relented, acknowledging that Bianca had backed him into a corner."I guess not…but that doesn't change the fact that I have no idea where Cell is!"

"I do."

Both Will's, Bianca's and even Rocket's heads jerked at the sound of the new voice piping in. It was a small and meek feminine voice, little more than a squeak really. It sounded as if the owner of the voice had had to psyche herself up to raise her voice that high yet had still remained too timid to fully commit.

Will fluidly broke away from Bianca's grip and turned to the forest, where the voice had originated from. His eyes scanned the thick tree line in search of a face or body to match the voice to, but neither could be found.

"Who said that?" he demanded, still looking frantically, "Show yourself!"

There was a beat of silence, and then came the soft reply.

"I can't," she softly replied, "But I _can _tell you where your Pokémon is…"

A surge of excitement rushed through Will's bloodstream. "Really!? Where?" he said as he dashed forward. There was a squeak and a rustle from the woods ahead of him.

"Stop!" commanded the voice in a tone more threatened than threatening. "D-don't come any closer! I-I won't tell you where he took your Solosis if you come closer!"

Will glared into the brush and hoped that whoever owned the voice could see just how cross he was. He felt like Cell was being held for ransom and there was again nothing he could do about it.

_If this person knows exactly why and where Cell was taken, _seethed Will, clenching his fists, _Or just watched and did nothing about it, I'm honestly not sure I want to know who exactly she is. In fact, it's better she stays far from me right about now…_

"Who are you?" asked Bianca.

There was another beat of silence. "I can't say," came the reply, "But I promise I'll tell you everything you need to know if you just…if you just leave me alone."

Will shook his head, wanting to call malarkey on whatever nonsense the mystery woman was about to feed him. He checked over his shoulder with Bianca for her input. Grim faced but wearing a weak smile, Bianca nodded.

"Fine, fine," relented Will, backing up a pace, "Deal. Just tell me where Cell is."

"I…don't know…"

That did it for Will. Rage once again filled him as he jabbed an accusing finger towards the voice with molten intent. "Are you joking!? You make me swear to silence about your identity in exchange for the whereabouts of my friend, information that _you don't have_, and you expect me to just go with that! That's not how deals work, lady! What kind of stupid do you think I am?"

Will heard a sob. "I'm sorry, okay? I-I-I didn't think this all the way through! What I mean is that I don't know where _exactly _they went but I could lead you there. And…well…"

"You can't do that without showing yourself," droned Will, not impressed with her planning skills.

"Yeah, pretty much…"

"Well, de-lightful." Will reached up and ran a hand through his sweat dampened hair. "Looks like we're going to have to work something out then…"

"Erm, ah, well…" The voice babbled on, trying to find an agreeable solution before Will lost his patience and discovered her identity. "I-I could go on ahead and then come back and tell you where they went…"

Will rolled his eyes. "Do you _actually _think I'm stupid? You've gotta be-"

"Kitty!" shrieked Bianca, quite suddenly.

"N-no, I wasn't kidding!" assured the voice.

"No, look!" Bianca cried again, pointing. "Kitty!"

Will followed her direction to right in front of him, where sat a purple feline Pokémon nonchalantly licking its paw. A Purrloin, by his guess.

But, also by his guess, not just any Purrloin. This one's tail was seemed bent and broken, crooked from some incredible pressure pushing down on it. This was no random Purrloin. It was the very same Purrloin that Will and Cell had risked their lives to rescue. The one that arguably had lead them into their current mess.

"Parrr…" she purred, looking up at Will with eyes that suggested that she was in truth looking down at him. The young man wasn't exactly pleased with that look, either.

"Aren't you that Purrloin from before?" asked Will.

Purrloin shrugged her shoulders and continued to licked her paw. "Parrr…" _So what if I am?_

Bianca gasped suddenly, an idea popping into her head. "Hey!" she said, dashing over to Will's side and bending down to eye level with Purrloin. "You want to show us where Cell went, don't you?"

"Parrrrrr…" _Don't make me change my mind…_

"So you just let that jerk take my Pokémon!" demanded Will, harping on the negative, "You just sat there and-OOF!"

Will felt a harsh thump on his chest and doubled over in pain. "Will, she's trying to help us!" hissed Bianca, gesturing to Purrloin. Who, for the record, was enjoying Will's pain rather enthusiastically. "Behave yourself!"

"But I was just-"

"Ahem!"

"Fine…" he grumbled, straightening back up. He didn't like his options. He didn't like them one bit. He and Cell had both risked their hides to save her life and Cell had sacrificed greatly to see her freed. And how had she repaid him?

Will desperately wanted to adopt a "Too little, too late" attitude about the whole situation. However, he knew not if it was yet too late and wasn't willing to take that chance. For the moment he decided to go along with Purrloin's little alliance.

A relieved sigh drifted out from the trees. "D-does that work for you?" asked the voice.

"As long as I get my friend back, sure," agreed Will, reluctantly. He gave Purrloin a hard look. "That is assuming that you actually _are _going to lead me to Cell."

"Parrr ra," mewed Purrloin, moving a claw from shoulder to shoulder in the shape of an X. _I swear on my nine lives._

Will nodded affirmatively. "Then it's settled. I'll follow Purrloin to wherever that crook is keeping Cell. Boldore and Rocket can come with me. Bianca, you go back to our camp and pack up our equipment. As soon as I get back, we're heading out. Sound good?"

"Right!" agreed Bianca.

"Osha wa!" cheered Rocket, hopping elatedly into the air.

"Dor dor boldore!" concurred Boldore.

"Alright then. Return, both of you." Will called Boldore and Rocket back into their Pokèballs and strapped them to his belt. Despite being Redhead's Pokémon, Boldore didn't seem to have any aversion to following and taking orders from Will. Because of this "wild-card" status, Rocket would be Will's first choice in the event he needed to battle.

Ironic, he considered, for he would have otherwise held Rocket back if he didn't have to be Will's first choice. Oh how times changed.

Purrloin stretched herself out and let out a shrill feline yawn. Leading the bumbling human back to his pathetic little grease ball of a Pokémon would be tedious and wasteful work. It wasn't like he could best the other human anyway. But it was the least that she could do for the grease ball after it had saved her life.

"Parrrr…" she purred, slinking through Will's legs and towards the other end of the clearing. Will whirled around to keep her from getting away. The purple feline had already cleared a significant distance and didn't show any signs on letting up. If Will wanted to follow, he'd have to follow.

"I'll be back later, Bianca!" he called over his shoulder just before disappearing into the brush. "Be ready to go!"

"Gotcha!" she called back, waving brightly all the while. Such resolve, Will had.

It was something that Bianca respected. Something that she wished she had. Sometimes people like her father and Cheren would tell her that she gave up too easily when trying and failing to do something.

But Will was hardy in that way. He was stubborn whereas Cheren was perseverant. Bianca though of herself as…well…what did she?

"S-So…does that mean we have a deal?" interrupted the voice.

"Huh?" Confused, Bianca turned back around. "About wha-oh! Oh, right, totally! We won't tell on you, we promise!" She placed a three fingered hand on her heart. "Scout's honor!"

"Thanks…I appreciate that. Good look with finding that Solosis."

"Huh? What Solo-oh!" Bianca had nearly forgot about Cell. About Will and the task he had just assigned her in its entirety. Heck, if she hadn't _forgotten _these things, Bianca probably would have realized that she forgot the entire journey for a moment. "I've gotta go! Will needs me! Byyyyeeee~!"

Bianca began jogging to the narrow dirt path that had lead her and Will back to the brook, looking back all the while and waving to where she assumed that the voice was originating from. Not paying attention, her foot caught under a root protruding from the ground causing her to stumble and nearly fell into a mud puddle. Much to Octavia's relief, the flighty girl managed to catch herself at the last possible moment and continue running. Still waving back at her.

"Nice girl," commented Octavia, climbing down from her perch atop one of the tall trees. She sighed longingly as her feet hit the ground and she began the trek back to her base. "Wish I had a friend like her…"

…

"Okay, so…tuck it in, fold it like…thiiis…clip it here, then-oh, darn it!"

Bianca had swiftly returned to the campsite she had shared with Will and began packing up all of his and her belongings posthaste. Her own clothes and effects had been stuffed back into her bag in the jumbled order she preferred, and Will's possessions were being stored in a much similar manor in his own bag.

She realized that he wouldn't be too happy once he saw the remnants of his once organized bag interior. But he had told her to pack as fast as she could, so he'd have to be mad at her later if getting immediately on Cell's trail was his top priority.

At the moment, Bianca was fighting a losing war against Will's small plastic tent. As previously mentioned, the thing was small and nowhere near as complicated as a normal sized tent. It had even come with a step-by-step instruction sheet on how to fold it back into a form that would fit in the plastic sleeve.

And not to mention the slogan printed on the top of the instructions sheet, "So Simple, An Idiot Could Do It!" That didn't exactly motivate Bianca.

Behind her she heard footsteps, constant and heavy footsteps of a person in motion. Sure enough it was Will, and looking quite haggard. His face was red and contorted in pained concentration. The breaths coming in and out of his lungs were ragged and raspy. It was very apparent that Will had run his heart out getting to…well, wherever Purrloin was leading him. And unless she had decided to leave him to his own devices after her end of the bargain had been fulfilled, it seemed that Will had beaten Purrloin back.

"Will!" she cried, ignoring the tent and jumping to her feet, "Did you fi-"

"C'mon, get packing! We've gotta go!" he unceremoniously interrupted.

"Will, wha…what happened? Do you know where Cell is?" Cell's whereabouts didn't worry her at the moment. Will had said he'd only return to get her once he knew where to go. What did worry her was the worry in Will's own voice. The urgency. The horror.

He took a quick second to catch his breath, and after wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead said, "Yes. But we're going to have to move fast if you want to get to him before-" His voice cracked. "-before it's too late."

"Why?" inquired Bianca, eyes widening in dread. "Where did that Trainer take him?"

"Accumula Town," Will grimly replied, grabbing his bag and swiftly shouldering it. The young man made it quite clear to Bianca that playtime was long over. "And we need to move quickly. If that thief gets to ground in Accumula, we lose any chance we may have had of finding Cell."

* * *

**Accumula Town, Back Alley**

* * *

Little did a thuggish Trainer hiding out in the town of Accumula know that only a few short kilometers away, a determined young man was hungry to snatch his stolen partner back from said thief's kleptomaniacal hands.

And little did either of them know that said stolen Pokémon belonging to said vengeful Trainer was going to be found in the hands of said thief by yet unsaid figure. And also that a minor aforementioned action was nigh on taking place.

Redhead slumped against weathered concrete wall in a fit of panting. He was in peak physical condition, yes, but was built for strength rather than speed or of notable respiratory strength, especially when it came to running. He had been born and raised in the industrially clogged Virbank City, and thus his lungs weren't exactly the most capable set on the planet.

Wishing he had a cold glass of water in his hand-which did _not _feel like cold mucus nine out of ten times-instead of a Solosis that _did _feel like cold mucus, Redhead slumped against an empty wooden crate and sighed. For the moment, he was safe.

Once he had reached Accumula Town, expertly dodging any scrutiny he would have ascertained by coming in through the main roads clasping a stolen Pokémon, he had wasted no time in contacting the members of his gang to help him disappear. There was no doubt in his mind that the skinny kid and his little blonde friend would be right on his heels and tattling on him to the police the second they reached town. He had to disappear fast; the cops in the area weren't fans.

"Well, I lost Boldore," he grumbled to himself, begrudgingly noting the now empty notch on his belt. He plopped the still unconscious Cell on his lap to distract himself, "-but at least I snagged this little McGuffin. I think I'm thinking the Black Market pays well for Psychic-Types these days…"

"Honesty and goodwill pay well too. But I'm sure any banks _you'd _visit wouldn't cash checks like that."

Redhead's red head snapped upwards to the other end of the alleyway. Being in a less populous area of town made had him thinking he'd be alone to himself. Not so, it appeared, but it was obvious this particular group had arrived from elsewhere.

There were five of them in all, each one garbed in the same flamboyant getup. Their outfits resembled medieval mail somewhat, obviously crafted out of much cheaper materials than steel and wool. Their long underclothes were smooth and black, and their hooded surcoats were of a contrasting white. Emblazoned on the chest of every uniform was a logo, an electric blue P before a black and white shield.

"You clowns again?" grunted Redhead, impressed no more by their return than he was before. "Thought you had your fill?" Two of the confronters he recognized from before: the dark skinned woman and the man a bit shorter than he but just a broad. Trouncing them again would have been boring. So considerate of them to have brought friends.

"The cup of justice is never full!" declared one of the eager-faced newbies, a younger girl whose curly brown locks escaped the confines of her hood.

The young lady from before, Lex, rolled his eyes at her. "Gina, just shut up."

"What about the Code? I thought-"

Lex couldn't help but roll her eyes once more. Gina's resolve and stock in their cause was at times useful and uplifting. But it could just as quickly become annoying and sickening.

"We're _here _to uphold the Code, Gina. That poor Solosis will be Liberated." Lex stared daggers at Redhead and cracked her knuckles threateningly. "But first, he gets his?"

"Ha!" Redhead nearly fell out of his seat in a burst of laughter. Fighting the duo from before had been playtime for his superior Pokémon. A walk in the park. "Strength in numbers" was definitely the message that the goons were trying to convey to him, but judging from the performance of just Lex and Walter's Pokémon, Redhead didn't have to take too many liberties to guess that three more wouldn't make a difference.

He sighed, wiping away a tear from under his eye. "That's rich, honey, I gotta tell ya. Hey, here's an idea! You should ditch the cultist gig and do standup! You'd make a killing on the stage!"

"Maybe you should open up her act, wise guy," another one of the newer faces curtly replied, folding his arms. "It's almost funny how adamantly you think you're not going to give up that Solosis."

"Oh really? And who's gonna make me, you?"

Then he sneered. It wasn't just any ordinary sneer, mind you. It was the "I know something you don't know" sneer.

"As a matter of fact," chimed Walter from the back of the pack, "No. No we are not."

Behind him, as if on cue, Walter heard a heavy metal _KA-LANK! _Before he could even face the source of the sound, he was struck in the face by something hard and metal.

Redhead collapsed face first on the concrete. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth as the crimson liquid began to pool within his cheeks. He had felt several teeth depart his mouth after the impact and figured that his mouth wouldn't be feeling so great in the morning.

For the record, it didn't right then.

"I believe he who they were referring too would be me," spoke a new voice. It was deep and resonating yet smooth and gentle at the same time. It was a voice that could bring revelation and fear to friends and enemies alike.

Before Redhead could even twitch, a cold and metallic hand gripped him around the back of his shirt and lifted him up and off of his feet. His grip had been slackened by the blow, but then he completely released the Solosis from his grip as he ascended. He was lifted up with the ease of a sack of flower. The arm gripping him revolved him slowly around.

And he came face to face with the knight.

It looked as if the beast of a man had simply been perusing a medieval museum when acquiring his chosen attire, though the armor was no relic. Seven feet of man was covered by the shining alloy, its surface whiter than porcelain. There were no elegant designs or curves to the design. It was hard and sturdy and left as few vulnerable areas as possible. Adorning his head was a fearsome metal helm crafted much in the style that a knight would have worn hundreds of years ago. His eyes were hidden behind a black visor and his mouth behind a much less modern retractable one. A decorative red plume protruded from the back.

The knight silently stared at Redhead, the silence hanging over the alleyway seemingly impermeable. Although his eyes were veiled by the visor, Redhead could tell they were piercing into his own to the core of his very soul.

Suddenly, he spoke.

"We have yet to meet, Sir Trainer," he spoke smoothly and evenly in an unbridled and almost haunting calmness, "Yet I know of you through the reports of my men. I believe that I know just enough about you, Damion Drew of Castelia City."

"So what…?" hissed Drew, his words slurred by blood and his swollen lip. Fear fluttered in his chest for a brief moment; how did this armored freak know his name, or where he was from? Drew prided himself on a reputation in certain circles, but he did not know that reputation extended to renaissance fairs.

"In our era, Sir Trainer, knowledge is the supreme power of the land." The knight gave what was to him a gentle shove, but to Redhead felt like being on the receiving end of Gurdurr's dynamic punch. He was released suddenly from the knight's grasp and coaxed onto the ground, receiving another painful set of bruises on his posterior. He quickly sat up in a desperate bid to get away but was rewarded with a metal hiss stinging his ears, and then a metal pinprick stinging his throat. A warm trickle slowly began to flow down his neck.

Redhead did his very best not to gulp as he looked slowly down. His eyes traced the silver broadsword up to its hilt, which rested elegantly in the hand of the knight, whose lightning fast draw and professional grip lead Redhead to believe that he was rather handy with the weapon. He felt no need to test this theory.

"And so I know how to defeat you, Sir Trainer," continued the knight, remaining still like a statue as Drew quivered.

Despite his inferior position, Drew sneered and tried to mask his fear. "Psh, I ain't impressed. You think I buy that? You don't need to know a person to beat 'em in a Pokémon battle, pal."

The knight nodded. "True. But I wouldn't dream of descending to your level and besting you in such a barbaric exchange. You misunderstand me. Besting you at one of your pathetic Pokémon duels would prove nothing. You as a person, Sir Trainer, would not be discouraged in the least. You would crawl on your hands and knees to a Pokémon Center to have your thralls prepped to fight once again. I would once again be confronted, most likely by you and an assembly of your associates.

"There is a different between a 'loss' and a 'defeat'. A loss is when you can no longer compete. A defeat is when you can no longer continue."

Drew blinked in confusion. "Wha-?"

"Pick him up," ordered the knight, jerking his head to the side. Drew felt two sets of hands grab up under each arm and hoist him onto his feet. They let him go and he faltered, his leg muscles still jelly. He was gripped again and kept from falling back onto the ground.

"Like I said, Sir Trainer, I know you. I know how you win. I know how you lose. And I know how to make it so you can never pose a threat to the weak ever again." Sword still in hand, the knight took two steps closer, towering above Drew. At the redhead's eye level, it seemed he was staring headlong at a wall of white. "To have power over you is to take power away from you."

Drew saw the knight's shoulder flick followed a split second later by a blur of white. He winced and shut his eyes as the sharp breeze of the whirling blade slapped his face. And then there was silence.

He tentatively opened his eyes, expecting to find himself in multiple pieces. But he felt no pain other than that which had already been inflicted. He heard a hiss and a clank as the knight sheathed his sword and stepped back, allowing Drew to admire his handiwork.

His belt. The knight had cut the belt, not him. Severed the strip of leather right out of his belt loops in one cut. It lie in a heap on the ground, all four of his Pokèballs attached to it.

"Relinquish the Trainer of his Pokémon," ordered the knight, "As well as his possessions. His badges, his money, anything else you can find."

Hands dug into Drew's pocket, and he began to squirm and struggle against his captors. "Hey, hands off! I-"

An iron grip squeezed his jaw and cut him off. Drew once again found himself face-to-helmet with the knight. "You what? What were you going to say? That you _earned _those things? That they were bought with money well-earned or skill well achieved?" The knight gestured to the unconscious Solosis. "Like that creature? Tell me of how you won over yonder innocent creature through chivalry and honorable deeds."

The knight's sword and demeanor had shattered Drew's façade. "I-I thought it was wild, I swear! It ain't what it seems!" he urged.

The knight simply shook his head. "'_Seems, thief_?'" he began to recite, "'_nay, it is, I know not 'seems.' 'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good thief, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forc'd breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These indeed seem, For they are actions that a man might play; But I have that within which passes show, These but the trappings and the suits of woe_.'"

"Wh-what?" stammered Drew. Under his visor, it was the knight's turn to roll his eyes. He strode forward and delivered a swift kick to Drew's stomach. The thief cried out in pain and curled up into the fetal position.

"Uncultured knave…" No one ever felt anything profound from literature these days, much less when it passed his lips. Even his subordinates seemed to cringe when he spoke of the finer arts well within context.

"See to it that his possessions are dealt with according to protocol," ordered the knight to the five, "And take the Solosis. Judging by your reports, we may need it soon enough."

"Yes, White Knight, sir!" they chorused and set straight to their duties.

As his grunts set about their work, White Knight studied the Solosis. Such a sad existence to be captained by such a majestic creature. Just because mankind gave its species life, they thought they could then on dictate it. It was disgusting. Being carted around and fussed over between two Trainers like a toy. It was truly sickening.

But White Knight would not have to worry about such barbarism running rampant like a plague in the world. Not for long, anyway. For soon there would rise a great New Order and all would be prosperous. The world would once again be beautiful and its children would be free.

White Knight gazed up at the midmorning sun, his visor shielding him from the harsh rays. The great golden ball was nigh on reaching its climax in the sky. His Majesty's speech was not far off.

"Let us leave this place," he said, returning to his men. "One of you summon an officer of the police to this location. This _common vandal_ is their problem, not ours.."

"At once, White Knight, sir!" One of the grunts crisply saluted and stepped aside to call the authorities, using Drew's own cellular device to do so.

Speaking of whom, Drew had taken advantage of his captors supposed distraction to attempt an escape. His legs were still far too weak to support himself on after the previous traumas and injuries he had suffered and he resolved to crawling away on his hands and knees in a most undignified manor.

The five took great pleasure in this. Their job came with little pay as it was, but watching arrogant swine like Drew knocked off of their pedestals was reward enough for the work they did. A few smiles and snickers escaped them as they beheld the pitiful sight.

But they wasted no time in busying themselves when White Knight caught wind and went to deal with it. Drew felt another tug on the back of his shirt and was spun around onto his knees, facing the White Knight one final time.

"Do you feel the winds, Sir Trainer? A storm approaches," stated the White Knight, making his face as level with Drew's as he possibly could, "Are you equipped to weather it?"

Before Drew could answer, White Knight's gauntlet smashed into his forehead, instantly knocking him unconscious.

* * *

**Thanks to the still anonymous Octavia and a begrudging favor from Purrloin, Will is back on track to finding Cell. But now that the Solosis has fallen into the hands of the White Knight, a mysterious figure in league with the same organization as Lex and Walter, will he be successful? What awaits him in Accumula Town? Are there more like the White Knight and his companions? **

**Stay tuned to find out in _Chapter 10: A Boy Called N_**

**I mean, again, this stuff is obvious to most of you, so I'm sorry if it seems like I'm working at the Department of Redundancy Department here when I'm asking these ambiguous questions. I'm just tryin' to preserve the magic XD **

**I decree that this week's Reader Question shall henceforth be: What is your favorite Unovan town or city from the games? For whatever reason, I've got to say Castellia. I just love big cities.**


	11. A Mysterious Boy Called N

**Chapter 10: A Boy Called N**

* * *

**Unova, Accumula Town**

* * *

When traveling from the southern tip of Unova towards the region's core, one would notice that things would begin to significantly scale up in size and grandeur. Castelia City at Unova's center was a step up from Nacrene City, which was a step up from Striaton City, which was a step up from Accumula Town, which was a step up from Nuvema Town.

Which was a step up from the woods.

Like books and poems and movies, you see, maps can have morals. And the moral of a map of Unova is that everything gets bigger. Think that Basculin you just caught was large? There's a bigger one that could eat yours in one bite. Think you just bought a pretty big ice cream cone? The place down the street sells sundaes with cherries the size of your entire cone. Everything in Unova got bigger: the Pokémon, the food, the ideas, the dreams, the people. The towns and cities were no exception.

If they were, or even just Accumula Town was, it would not have been given the moniker of "The Fast-Growing Town." There would never be any shortage of dreamers in the world, let alone in Unova, the Land of Opportunities. Many a starry-eyed individual would flock to places like Castelia, Virbank, Driftveil, or even Striaton to try and make it big. Those who wanted to lead quiet and simpler lives found their homes in Mistralton, Nacrene, or Flocessy.

Though in recent history, many had realized that a sphere that one could call their own could be carved out much easier in mid-sized cities like Accumula and Aspertia. Places like those weren't too big or too packed, but they had plenty of room and plenty of fuel for the fires of success.

Owners of small businesses and innovators found utopia in cities like Accumula, which had a soluble mixture of the metropolitan and suburban lifestyles. New businesses trying to carve out their own niche and build upwards caused these places to boom and expand to broaden the horizons of those who lived there.

People arrived constantly chasing that horizon. People like William Grey and his companion, Bianca Belle. Only the opportunity young William sought was much different than making money or starting a life.

He was searching for the opportunity to free his dearest partner from thieving hands and make amends for his failures.

Tugging at the strap of his bag digging into his shoulder, Will surveyed the surrounding square. It was a spacious yet quant little place rimmed with buildings both old and new, advertising services from lunching to laser eye surgery. Will found himself in a much more commercial district of town, where residencies would be few and far between. He had never personally been to Accumula Town before but knew that most people lived further from the center of town.

"This is where we'll be most likely to find Redhead," said Will, taking a few steps forward to get a better look at the buildings around him. He and Bianca stood at a curb overlooking a whole other row of buildings on the other side, one of them the universally recognized Pokémon Center, a combination hospital/motel that offered free services to all registered Pokémon Trainers. Will had fought the urge to stop there briefly to grab lunch before continuing his search.

"Who?" Bianca asked confusedly.

Will cocked an eyebrow at her. "You know, Redhead? The guy who stole my Pokémon…"

Bianca pondered for a moment before the answer came rocketing to her. "Oh! That guy! We're trying to find him, right?"

"I can't decide whether or not I'd have rather gone with Cheren…" Will grumbled to the ground, hardly being able to believe Bianca's forgetfulness.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Will saved face and smiled innocently at Bianca, clapping his hands together. "I was just saying we should maybe split up. That way we could cover more ground."

"Oh! Good idea!" agreed Bianca wholeheartedly. Inwardly, Will breathed a sigh of relief.

"Glad you agree," said Will, turning back around to face the adjacent street and continually plan. "But I don't want to just barge into every Mom-and-Pop store demanding if they've seen a redheaded bruiser, his gangsters and a Solosis. That'd just sound like the start of a joke. I'm thinking I want to narrow it down to places that people like Redhead would go…"

"Places like where?" Bianca innocently inquired, folding her hands and waiting to hear Will's ideas. She never liked to take the leadership role and preferred to simply tag along while others took to the front.

"Well, places that-" Will gulped, feeling pinpricks of sweat break out of the back of his neck. Places that Redhead would likely at would be places that a sweet, innocent girl like Bianca wouldn't belong. Heck, some of them would most likely be places neither of them could legally enter without an adult's supervision.

"Places like there?" suggested Bianca, pointing to something ahead of Will.

She pointed to a park a ways down the street that wouldn't take more than five minutes to walk to from where the two of them were. It was more of a green than it was a park, an area preserved for nature amidst the town's slow but sure expansion, where relaxation and gatherings would likely take place.

Such a gathering was in fact taking place at that very moment. A small wooden stage had been set up in the center of the park with an impressive number of onlookers standing before it, prepared for or intrigued by whatever presentation was yet to come. A podium stood in the front center flanked by what appeared to be two flagless flagpoles.

From his distance away, Will could see several men and women in blue and black uniforms handing out flyers to those in attendance. Who or what they represented was anyone's guess.

Needless to say that he was now intrigued. "C'mon," he said to Bianca, adjusting his shoulder strap and beginning to head down the sidewalk, "Let's go check that out. Maybe someone there as seen Redhead."

"Coming!" Bianca chirped excitedly, skipping along right at Will's heels. "Hey, remind me again, who was Redhead?'

"Ugh…"

…

Will was in for an even bigger surprise once he and Bianca arrived at the green. Looking on from a distance had caused him to miss out on two specific details about the gathering.

One; there were even more people and Pokémon in attendance than he would have thought when examining from his position back on the sidewalk. The Pokémon he saw no doubt were there to accompany their Trainers. But that only added to the headcount. From a distance, Will would have guessed there were about two dozen people. In reality there were about three dozen plus change.

Second; no one there seemed to have a clue what was going on. Many were talking with one another and their Pokémon, casting the occasional glance to one of the uniformed attendants-who looked a lot like medieval squires up close-or making otherwise confused gestures like shrugs and shaking of the head. Will suspected that many had been attracted in the way that he had been, wanting to know what all the fuss was about.

"What is this all about?" Will wondered aloud, hands stuffed into his pockets. The rest of the onlookers wanted answers like he did but at least seemed content to wait and find out. Will just wanted to find whatever clues he could on Cell's whereabouts and go. "I mean, Election Day isn't for months. Campaigners wouldn't be wasting their money with district visits this early. Plus they don't usually have uniforms…maybe it's a lobby or a special interest group?"

Bianca blinked, not understanding a single word that left Will's mouth. "Wow. You know a lot about politics, Will."

"I took a class," he stated simply, shrugging, "But guesswork never was my specialty. I just want to know what's going on here."

"I don't know," said Bianca, seeming every bit as perplexed as Will, "Maybe we could ask one of the people in costume?"

Bianca said "in costume" like they were at the carnival. Not only were there no rides or colorful attractions to be seen, but the atmosphere itself just seemed much more serious. The way that the men and women "in costume" held out fliers and stood vigil over the stairs leading up to the platform lead Will to believe that there was something more serious going on.

Unable to think of a better option, Will shrugged. "Guess that's not a bad idea." One of them stood only a few feet to his left, a stack of flyers clutched in her arms. Will made his way over and tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me, ma'am?' he said politely.

"Yes?" She turned around and smiled welcomingly to Will. She was a few years older than Will and very pretty, with golden blonde hair spilling out of her hood. "How can I help you?"

"I was just wondering what this was all about," stated Will, gesturing to the display behind him, "The stage being set up and all."

Her face brightened, eager to share her knowledge with him. "How nice of you to ask! I'd be delighted to tell you everything I can!"

"Are there things you _can't _tell me?" asked Will, his eyes narrowing in a combination of confusion and suspicion.

Her smile turned lopsided. "Unfortunately, my superiors would like us to wait for the presentation before anything major gets unveiled. But I'd be more than happy to share a flyer with you."

"That'd be great, thanks." Will took a flyer from the girl's pile, reinvigorating her smile. He guessed not a staggering amount of people had shown as much interest as he.

"Thank you for stopping by!" she said again, giving a short wave before moving on to speak to another small knot of Trainer, "Hope you stay for the speech!"

_I just want to know what the "speech" is about… _Will returned a short wave, then began studying the flyer. His mind was only further tantalized from there.

Printed in bold electric blue letters at the top of the page were the words: "**Freedom is a right. Not a privilege**." Underneath it was a small paragraph printed in the same font but in smaller letters. It said:

_"Both humans and Pokémon inherited this world, but it was us humans who took up the mantle as its dominant species. It is therefore our responsibility to uphold peace and unity throughout the ages, a task we seem to have taken for granted and at times, forgotten. Pokémon, wondrous creatures and fellow children of this Earth, have been caught in the middle of our selfish affairs since the dawn of time. If we cannot co-exist as equals, we cannot co-depend as equals."_

Below the blurb, which made little to no sense to Will, a logo took up most of the remaining space on the page. It was the very same logo he had noted on the breast of the uniforms worn by the attendants: an electric blue "P" atop a black and white shield.

Underneath the logo were the bolded words "**Join the revolution.**" Finally beneath that was a list of several dates, times and locations, likely those of similar speeches, and a phone number.

"What did she say?" chirped a familiar voice. Will noticed Bianca jogging towards him and showed her the flyer as she skidded to a stop next to him.

"Not much," said Will, handing her the flyer, "But she gave me this. Couldn't make much sense of it myself, but it panders on about something along the lines of-"

"Pokémon Liberation."

Another familiar voice touched Will's ears, though he was a bit less excited to be hearing that particular voice. Sure enough, approaching casually from behind, neutral and pretentious looking as ever, was Cheren Komori.

Bianca's head popped up from behind the flyer, throwing the much less interesting thing away in favor of Cheren. She shoved Will aside and barreled towards the raven haired boy.

"Cheren!" she cried, leaping at him with arms outstretched. Eyes rolling behind his thin spectacles, Cheren easily sidestepped her and watched with his hands folded behind his back as Bianca fell face first into the dirt.

"Bianca," he said plainly, not even offering to help her up as he continued on, "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too, Cheren," she replied, her voice muffled by the ground.

He turned and nodded to Will. "And you, William. I take it you've caught a nice amount of Pokémon since leaving Nuvema? I myself have caught five."

Will glared at him, trying and failing to hide his contempt. "T-two," he lied, considering that one of them had been given to him and one wasn't even his, "B-but that's beside the point! What did you say about liberation?"

"Pokémon Liberation," affirmed Cheren, adjusting his glasses. He removed a flyer from his jacket pocket that looked exactly like Will's. He held it up and tapped the lists at the bottom. "I got curious, so I called the number given on the flier. The nice man on the other end asked me if I had any questions on Pokémon Liberation."

"And did you?"

"No. I hung up after I saw you attempting to ask that woman questions of your own." Cheren folded the flyer and stuck it back into his jacket.

"Well, I had questions coming in," said Will, his face and tone darkening as he felt a twinge of pain from within. "But they weren't about 'Pokémon Liberation' or whatever."

He spun to Cheren the tale of the Purrloin that he and Cell had found trapped by Redhead, their subsequent acts of desperation, Will's bout with Boldore and his rescue at the hands of Bianca, and Cell's eventual kidnapping. Throughout the whole recounting, Cheren simply nodded and thankfully added no haughty remarks about Will's complacency along the way. He didn't need any more reminders of his shortcomings.

Once he finished, Will realized that he had left the parts about Circe out of the story as well as her cameo in his dream only minutes before. That part wasn't important to the story, and would probably give Cheren ample reason to call him crazy and a liar, so he omitted it.

"So now you see why I'm in such a hurry," finished Will, his retelling of the story patient and even, though it left him feeling exasperated and out of energy at the end.

"I suppose," replied Cheren, the emotional rollercoaster that Will had just described not at all effecting his neutrality, "But aren't you more curious about what this speech is about?"

"Tch, no! I'm more _curious_ about where my friend is!" shouted Will right in Cheren's face. His raven haired rival could be very cool and collected where it counted, though it seemed he could also do so when it did not.

"Well, I am," Cheren rebuked, turning his back to Will and effectively ending the conversation, "And it looks as if the speech is about to begin."

Will sucked in a deep breath to prepare a heated and witty response, but was cut off by the sudden heralding sound of trumpets. He and all others among the mob who had yet to do so curiously trained their eyes on the stage. Bianca too, who had been picking herself, was distracted at the sudden bray of the horns and, as a result, tripped on the hem of her skirt and plopped right back down on her bottom.

On the stage, two of the squires marched formally to each of the flagpoles with a rolled up piece of fabric tucked under an arm. In one fluid motion, the fabrics were whipped out and unfurled to reveal flags sporting the logo adorned on each of the squires. Both squires picked the flag out of its stand and held it firmly in front of their bodies so that all could see. They stood as still as statues while from behind, another figure approached.

There was no doubt about it that the squires were wearing the most outlandish and flamboyant collective outfits in town. But the new guy's getup took the cake. Shuffling up to the podium was a middle aged man with hair of a choked green color that flowed in locks onto his shoulders. His facial features were hardened and chiseled, and he wore a strange red monocle over his right eye. In his right hand he held an ornate black cane on which he put most of his weight as he walked, the ebony rod clacking on the stage with each step he took.

Aside from the gold and blue crest rimming his shoulders and the logo itself emblazoned on his chest, the man's robes did not resemble that of the squires in the least. One half was of golden fabric, embroidery of a purple eye dominating the center. The pattern held constant on the other half with a swapped color scheme.

Jaclyn Grey had always told her brother that outfits could speak-and Arceus above he believed her now-but this man's robes could literally stare at you.

He placed both hands gently on the side of the podium and smiled invitingly at the audience. "Good people of Accumula Town, I welcome you to our little presentation on this fine spring afternoon," he said in a deep yet silky voice that carried out over the entire green and beyond, "I have come here to speak with you all on an important subject. A very important matter indeed.

"I know many of you have been seeking answers. Who are these people? What are they preaching about? What does any of this mean? Today, good people, you will receive those answers. My name is Ghetsis Harmonia, of Team Plasma."

A few gasps of surprise rose up from the audience and fits of whispering broke out amongst many of its members. The prefix of "Team" before an organization's name had never bode well for whatever region that "Team" had popped up in. The primary example having been the Team Rocket syndicate's legendary reign of terror so many years ago in Kanto and their brief resurgence in Johto. Following that had been the gang war between the misguided Aqua and Magma factions, whose leaders had been reported to have been driven mad by the influence of the ancient Red and Blue Orbs. After that had been the strange Sinnohan group, Team Galactic, who had been rumored to have been attempting to destroy the universe or something like that. Will was a bit fuzzy on the details of that one.

Ghetsis remained silent whilst the people speculated. He was allowing this to occur on his own time. If there was one thing tis Ghetsis knew how to do, it was how to work a crowd.

"My friends, please," he said, holding up a hand to urge silence, "I assure you that any correlations that could be drawn between our group and the infamous criminal syndicates of the past can be done in name only. We exist for one purpose and one purpose only. The collective good. To peacefully support Pokémon Liberation."

"Liberation?" one of the audience members said loudly, "What do you mean by that?"

"Doesn't that mean to free something?" another woman inquired.

"Free Pokémon from who?" demanded another.

"Us," Ghetsis replied simply, placing his hands flat on the podium, "All of us here, each and every one of us, for better or for worse, knows what it means to be human. We know what we all collectively want. Peace. Prosperity. Brotherhood. This is true, yes?"

Ghetsis fell silent again, his tone shifting and his smile descending into a frown. "But that's just it, isn't it. Peace, prosperity and brotherhood are things that we desire but do not have. We _know _what it means to be human, we simply cannot _understand_ it. And in our efforts to understand one thing, we fail to understand another. What it means to be a Pokémon. What it means to be a slave.

"Eons ago, when men would take their fellow man as slaves, we lived in an era those today would refer to as primitive. _Barbaric_." Ghetsis waved his hand dismissively and smiled haughtily. "Oh, but now we are civilized! We do no such things! Everyone is free and equal. That is what our leaders tell us. That is what we tell ourselves. These truths are self-evident, but only so. No further than _ourselves_ do they have meaning. Because in place of each other, we learned to take a new form of slave.

"_Pokémon._"

Uproarious chatter once again erupted within the crowd. Ghetsis was much quicker to silence them this time, however.

_What is this guy getting at? _wondered Will. He had before heard about groups preaching equality and better treatment of Pokémon, and so that message was not new to him. The entire freedom angle was, however, as was Ghetsis' mastery of speechcraft. It was clear who was working the crowd.

But at what angle, Will could only wonder.

"Yes, I know what you are all saying now to your friends and to yourselves," accused Ghetsis, leaning forward on the podium, "'That cannot be me! I love my Pokémon! It's my friend! My partner! I would never make it do something it doesn't want to do!' This may be too hard for some to accept or hear, but it is true. We work Pokémon like _machines_. We battle them for our own gain and amusement. They are worked to the bone in combat only to be revived so they can do it again. They do not resist for the most part because humankind has _indoctrinated _Pokémon-kind into knowing nothing more than battle and work. We have forced enslavement on them. Those we call our friends."

Ghetsis' somber proclamation had stabbed into the crowd like an icy dagger. Some were in disbelief. Some were in full on panic. Some simply did not know what do or think anymore. The green-haired man had just completely flipped their worlds upside down. Trainers guiltily looked at their Pokémon and reflected on what he had said. Were they oppressors?

"But it is not too late!" proclaimed Ghetsis, his words once again enthralling the crowd and restoring order. "Just as we did wrong, we can do right!"

"B-but how!?"

"You said we've enslaved our Pokémon. What do we do to fix this?"

"That's just it, my friends! Set your Pokémon free! Let them thrive in nature as they were meant to! Though it pains me to know the untold suffering that has existed throughout the ages, though the pages of our history will be forever stained with this dark ink, there is still hope. We will right the wrongs of those to ignorant to comprehend the heinousness of their actions years ago when the first Pokémon was enslaved. It began with them, but it can end with us!"

Smiling out into the crowd, Ghetsis folded his hands on the podium and ended his speech. "I thank you," he finished, "I apologize if this truth may have been too harshly delivered, but it was necessary for you all to feel the true impact that Team Plasma feels. To feel as strongly as we do for the freedom and wellbeing of all Pokémon. If you have any questions, I would be more than happy to have my associates answer them for you. Good day."

And with that, Ghetsis turned and exited to the bag of the stage, the clacking of his cane slowly fading into a dull echo. Several Plasma squires followed suit with the flag bearers heading up the rear. A few who had been standing in front of the stage and among the crowd departed for the rear of the stage as well, and some remained. For a split second, there was pure silence

But the second Ghetsis had disappeared from sight, however, the crowd exploded into a frenzy of varying reactions to the speech.

"Mommy," sniffled a little girl, clinging tightly to her mother's coat, "Am I hurting Petilil? Should I let her go?"

"Of course not! She's your best friend, sweetie. Now let's go home," the mother replied, taking her daughter's hand and leading the little girl away. Her petite green partner hopped after her.

Those who thought fie of Ghetsis' speech seemed to be departing in bulk. Either they were in denial or they simply got nothing from it, the dozen or so on their way out had no inclination of releasing their Pokémon.

"Psh, what a load of garbage!" spat a young man, tugging on his girlfriend's arm for them to leave.

"I know, right?" she responded, holding a Pokèball in her other hand, "My Sawk and I are, like, best friends!"

"Just a bunch of hippies…"

"I'm going home. What a waste of time…"

Deep down, like these people, Will himself did not believe the speech. His Pokémon were partners. Equals. Their opinions carried the same weight as his did on any matters. And it was relieving to him that some had the sensibility to realize this as well.

Luckily, these people were the majority. But that still left the minority.

Not ten feet from Will and Cheren, a woman in her twenties collapsed onto her knees in a fit of tears. Tightly to her chest she hugged a Great Ball, which she promptly opened up.

"Cott!" chirped the Pokémon that popped out, excited as ever to behold the face of her Trainer. But something seemed amiss. She toddled forward and tapped her Trainer's shoulder.

"Y-you're free n-now, Cottonee," sniffled the woman, "I w-won't keep you here anymore…"

"Cott?" Cottonee cocked her head to the side in confusion.

The woman let out a sob. "I enslaved you and I'm sorry! Go now! You're free! J-just…"

That's when the woman lost it. Breaking out into a fit of tears, she shot to her feet and barreled in the other opposite direction, leaving poor Cottonee in the dust. Tears welled up in the Grass-Type's eyes.

Baffled, Will started after her. "Lady, wait!" he cried, arm outstretched, "You can't just leave your Pokémon!"

"It would appear that she has," Cheren observed oh-so astutely.

"Really now!? I hadn't noticed!" Will snapped irately at Cheren's unaffected response, "But that's beside the point! Look around you! People are actually listening to that loon from the stage! I-"

"Waak!"

Another similar scene was unfolding nearby. Will and Cheren both noticed an man in wearing a leather biker jacket and dark sunglasses strolling nonchalantly away from a panicking Ducklett, the latter desperately trying to catch up with the former.

The man ignored it and continued walking, shoving his hands into his pockets. "See you around, Ducklett. You take care of yourself…"

Will couldn't handle much more of this. A few fancy words from some robed hippie and people were throwing their Pokémon away like used napkins! Abandoning them! He had to set things straight.

"Hey, mister!" cried Will, running over to him, "How long have you known that Ducklett?"

"I dunno. 'Bout ten, eleven years?" he replied with a shrug.

"That long? And you're just going to throw away whatever bond you may have had with that Pokémon?" Will speechlessly responded, throwing his arms down to his sides.

The man stopped and fixed Will with a hard look. "Listen, kid. This ain't none of your business. I don't wanna be keepin' Ducklett around if he don't wanna be around. So I'm lettin' him go free where he belongs. End of story."

"Waak!" cried the Ducklett, throwing itself at the man and wrapping his little wings around the man's legs. Clearly, it did not want to go.

The man gently nudged him off. "I'll see you around, Ducklett. Take care…"

"Waak…"

Ducklett laid flat on his belly and watched as his Trainer, caretaker and friend of over a decade washed his hands of everything they had every done together and a second's notice. At the behest of another man's desires. Memories flashed through Ducklett's mind of times that he and his Trainer, Chad, had shared over the years. Their first meeting at a park where Chad had been courting a girlfriend. Sticking with him when the relationship ended in heartbreak, where Chad realized who his friends truly were and forged and insufferable bond with Ducklett.

Or at least, that's what Ducklett had taken from it. All the times he would cling to Chad's jacket as they rocketed down the road on his motorcycle, all the times Chad would take care of Ducklett when he was sick, all the Christmases and birthdays they shared together. All of them meant nothing?

Will's heart wrenched as he stared down at the miserable Ducklett. He could feel his hands slowly balling into fists. No Pokémon should ever have to feel that kind of pain. The kind of pain that was being separated from your other half and not even knowing why. A solitary thought burned its way into Will's head and didn't stop burning as it nestled in deep.

_I've gotta find Cell…_

"I'll see you guys later," he grumbled hastily to Cheren and Bianca as he stomped away. Enough time had been wasted at that stupid speech and he wasn't willing to let Redhead walk another inch unpursued. Payback time was nigh on occurring.

"Will, wait!" cried Bianca, starting after him, "Where are you going!"

"There's something I've gotta do!" he curtly replied.

Bianca would have kept going had Cheren not placed a hand upon her shoulder and dissuaded pursuit. "You've followed him far enough, Bianca. There are some things he's going to have to be able to do on his own."

"But I want to help…" she mewed.

"I know. But sometimes, a person just has to learn how to help themselves."

And so Cheren and Bianca watched as Will set back off into Accumula Town to renew his search. If anything, Team Plasma's speech had served to drive him onward. It would be a sunny day in the Distortion World when he allowed Cell to anguish alone with no hope of his Trainer returning.

But little did he know that there were not only two sets of eyes watching him go, but three. His flight from the green had intrigued a boy, one particular boy, as did his actions within. This boy regarded the tall boy's reactions to the speech as…unique. Few if any at all had seemed to take what he had taken from Ghetsis' words, and none at all had reacted in a similar manor.

This particular boy possessed a special talent. Several, to be exact, but one of them specifically to be able to remain inconspicuous and roundabout to the point of metaphorical invisibility. No one had noticed him join the crowd. No one had noticed him in it.

And so no one noticed him break off from what remained of the crowd and purse the other young man as he made his way back towards the heart of Accumula Town.

…

Nothing.

Absolutely, undisputedly, irrefutably nothing. That was just about what Will's search amounted to.

For hours he had scoured every corner of Accumula Town in search of Cell or anything at all that could get him closer. Will was no detective and he knew this, so the majority of his time had not been spent looking for hints or clues. He had mostly asked around in several populous areas for information on the possible whereabouts of Redhead or Cell and had even offered to pay in some instances. With these parameters, one would assume Will would not only be able to cover a lot of ground but also acquire some quality information, right?

Not so.

In order to stay safe, Will had decided not to go into any shadier areas in town and had never offered notably substantial amounts to have information brokered to him. Unfortunately, the shadier areas where a fledgling Trainer like Will was more likely to get mugged (again) harbored the highest chances of him finding information on or the actual person of Redhead. And Will only had with him two Pokémon, one of which was impulsive and disobedient and the other never having received orders from him before. Technically, it wasn't even his.

At this point, one might also be wondering why Will did not involve the police. Surely trained professionals would be able to accomplish tenfold that of which a Trainer with two days experience under his belt.

The problem being with that scenario that William, while a registered and recognized Pokémon Trainer, was still a minor. Any criminal activity taking place to or by him would warrant parent involvement. Will didn't want to think about what his mother would think if on Day Two of his Journey he was crying for her help, let alone the impression Professor Juniper would get.

Self-sufficiency had its benefits, but it also had its drawbacks. Though Will could not exactly think of any examples for the former at that given moment.

Will slumped down into a weathered wooden bench in front of the Pokémon Center. The sun was sinking down below the horizon, casting an orange hue over the sky. About half an hour ago, Bianca had sent a text message to Will's Xtransceiver inviting him to share dinner with her and Cheren in the Pokémon Center. At that given moment, Will was in no mood to do so.

Will let loose a disgruntled moan, his head plopping into his hands. "I can't believe myself," he sighed, slowly massaging his aching forehead with his fingertips. "Two days. _Two days _it's been and I've already lost the single friend I have in this world…"

_Not _every_ friend…_

The Xtransceiver on his wrist felt like it was burning at his skin. Not long ago it had buzzed with a message from Bianca inviting him to dinner. She counted on him, she believed in him, she _cared _about him. If that wasn't a friend, than what was?

Cheren, as insufferable as he could sometimes (read: most of the time) be had forged somewhat of a bond between the two of them through their friendly rivalry. Will knew that there was competition there and plenty of it, but not bitterness. He could count on Cheren in a pinch.

_And of course…_

Rocket's Pokèball might as well have spontaneously appeared in Will's hand. He stared down at the little capsule as a smile touched his lips. He tapped the button with his thumb.

"Osha!" declared Rocket in his usual happy demeanor, before mellowing out as he noticed his Trainer's unusual melancholy. He toddled across the bench and tapped Will on the shoulder. "Oshawa?"

"Don't worry about me, buddy. I'm just…well, I'm in a bit of a rough spot right now…" said Will, leaning back until his head was titled up to the sky.

"Osha osha…" Rocket sensitively replied, plopping down next to him. Will could feel the warmth of Rocket's torso against his midsection.

"Thanks buddy," he said softly, stroking Rocket's head. "Glad I have you to back me up…"

"Wat! Osha!" Rocket leapt suddenly onto Will's lap, determination flaring in his eyes.

Before Will could respond, another voice did so for him. It was smooth and calm, much like Cheren's, except it didn't contain the trace hints of impatience and superiority that the raven haired boy's did.

"Very interesting. I'm surprised you would say something like that."

Will's head shot up in surprise. Approaching him slowly down the walkway was a young man of about his age. From the newcomer's standing position, Will could tell that he was about an inch or two taller than even he, who stood at an above average height of six feet. He just was about as skinny as Will too.

That, however, was where the similarities ended. Where Will's hair was short, this boy's was long, unkemptly hanging down to his lower back. It was tea green, almost a more vibrant shade of that sported by the guy who gave the speech earlier, Ghetsis. But that meant nothing. Assuming that he had something to do with Ghetsis just because of his hair color would be like saying Bianca had something to do with the blonde Plasma handing out flyers.

He wore a sports cap like Will, only his had no brandings or logos and was a bland black and white. He wore a white button-down atop a black undershirt and tan colored slacks. An array of strange accessories dotted his person ranging from bangles on each arm to an atom-looking necklace and even to a strange Rubix-cube looking apparatus secured to his belt loops.

"Pardon me?" said Will, sitting up into a more formal position.

"My comment was that your Pokémon said a strange thing," the boy calmly replied, stopping a few feet from Will.

"My Pokémon?" Will was puzzled; he had assumed the comment was directed at him and misunderstood since a newcomer would obviously not know what he was talking about.

"Yes. Your Oshawott." The boy's brows creased and his light smile disappeared. "Oh. You cannot hear it either. What a pity."

"I'm not sure I follow," said Will, his own face contorting in confusion.

"Most people do not," replied the boy.

Feeling almost like he were being confronted, placed Rocket on the bench and stood. "Listen, buddy, if you've got a problem with me-"

"Problems? I have no problems. You are the only one with problems."

"Wait, what-!?"

The boy waved his hands downwards in a calming motion. His grey irises locked with Will's, gently coercing the Trainer to be silent and listen. "Problems that I have come here to help you with. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is N."

"N?" asked Will. "Is that short for like, Nick or something? Nathaniel? Napoleon?"

N snickered lightly. "No, it is just N. Everyone I know refers to me as N, so you may do the same."

"Okay…N. That answers one of my questions, but not all of them. Why are you here?" Seeing as how N had very willing N seemed to be to cooperate, Will lightened up his demeanor a bit and looked more levelly at N, albeit with his arms folded across his chest.

"Like I said, to help you," N replied. He looked away from Will and began to pace to the side. "One might say that I am in the business of…making sure that things are where they are meant to be."

One thought shot immediately into Will's mind like a bullet train with greased wheels. "You don't mean-"

"Please," said N, holding his hand up again to silence Will, "You've asked your share of questions. I think it's fair that I now ask mine."

"Oh…o-okay…" Will relaxed as much as he could to allow N to speak, but could not suppress the excitement pumping through his veins. Hours of searching had not been for naught! If N had not actually found Cell's whereabouts, he had found something that would get Will there. The answers were right at his fingertips!

All he had to do was be patient.

"Aright, what do you want to know?" he said as casually as he could.

"Nothing you could provide me with," replied N.

Will blinked, confused. "But I thought you said…"

"You are right, William Grey. I did in fact tell you that I needed answers." N began to slowly approach Will, or so it seemed. His true intentions once again fooled Will. He knelt down at the other boy's side and faced Rocket, who appeared just as confused as his Trainer.

"Your name is Rocket, correct?' asked N, smiling invitingly at the Oshawott.

"O-Osha," he answered.

N nodded. "Right. I heard what you were saying earlier. I was wondering if you could tell me more."

It was then that Will began connecting the dots. It was then he began to realize one of N's _other _special talents. One of the first things Will had heard him say played back in his mind like a recording, _"My comment was that your Pokémon said a strange thing…"_

"You can speak to Pokémon," said Will, his voice barely reaching above a whisper.

N gave another of his "I know something you don't know" smiles as he stood back up and addressed Will, moving back out of his personal space.

"Anyone can speak to Pokémon," he knowingly replied, "And all Pokémon can speak to us. However, very few can _understand _Pokémon." N touched a hand to his heart. "I am one of the few who can do so."

Will's head bobbed back in pure shock and awe. "Wow, that's…that's astounding, N, I've gotta say. How do you do it?"

"That's a difficult question to answer," N replied with a smirk, "Asking how I am able to understand Pokémon is like asking a peer how they are able to understand a concept or lesson in the classroom. One cannot explain the details of their own mental capacity to comprehend. It is not as simple as me just being able to understand their language, just as it is not as simple as saying that you understand an arithmetic lesson better than a classmate because you know the steps. Some people are just…born that way."

He did not doubt that N was telling the truth. Will simply was having trouble gripping the concept of it all, almost proving N's point as a matter of fact. Anyone else may have immediately dismissed N's claim as pure hogwash and left it at that. But something about N's overall character made Will the least bit hesitant to do so.

"Alright, so you can talk to Pokémon. You were going to ask Rocket some questions, then?" Shrugging, Will waved a hand towards his Water-Type compadre. "Ask away."

Once again, N snickered like Will was a child who had just said something adorably ignorant. "I do not wish to interview Rocket in the way that you are thinking of. There are things I would definitely like to know from him, but in occasions like these I find that battle speaks much louder than words."

N's entire platform had just done a complete one-eighty. It was incredibly ironic that Will could not read N for one iota, yet Will was an open book to him.

"Wait…I'm not sure I understand. Are you even a Pokémon Trainer?"

"No, I am not," confirmed N, somberly shaking his head, "I do not keep Pokémon in Pokèballs. I do, however, have friends that I may call on battling purposes." N looked over his shoulder and shouted, "Purrloin? Could you please assist me?"

Thus far, N had shown to be fuller of surprises than Santa Clause's Christmas sack. As he called the name and beckoned, wouldn't you know it, out from behind a green trash bin came a Purrloin. But this was not just any Purrloin.

It was the exact same Purrloin that Will and Cell had rescued hours earlier.

Will felt a flash of white hot anger flare up inside of him as he noticed the slightly disfigured tail, a telltale sign that he was not just being paranoid. If N really could read the minds of Pokémon, then Will sincerely hoped the same did not go for humans. He suspected that happiness would not be a gut reaction when facing the Pokémon that had surrendered his partner to an unknown fate without so much as raising a paw.

Haughtily sauntering to N's feet, Will could have sworn that Purrloin winked at him as it plopped down at the other teen's feet and began to lick her paw. N smiled affectionately at the adorable display and knelt slowly before her and began to raise a hand.

"May I?" he asked formally and also rather cryptically. Purrloin made a shoulder motion almost like she was shrugging and bowed her head, permitting N to lay his hand in between her ears.

There he sat for a moment in total silence. Not moving. Not blinking. Not even breathing. Will and Rocket scrutinized him with great curiosity. It seemed as if he had been totally frozen in time.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open, causing Rocket to leap back in surprise and Will to catch his sudden breath in his throat. He slowly stood whilst staring deeply into Will's eyes, his own sparkling with a new luster.

"I understand," he said calmly to Purrloin, "He sacrificed much to save you. This will be very interesting. You had a debt and you repaid it in part. Now, let us see if you can repay it in full."

"W-wait! Did you just actually _read _its thoughts!?" stammered Will, astounded. There would be no way he could have known about the events that transpired prior to Will's arrival in Accumula Town that day otherwise.

N nodded. "Indeed. I now know of the connection you and this Purrloin have achieved, the invisible tie that together, you forged. But I have still yet to learn what your _own _Pokémon has to say about you. Let me hear his voice once again! Now, Purrloin, please use your Scratch attack!"

"Prawr!" mewed Purrloin, rapidly whipping around towards Will, her claws extending from in between her paws.

An electric shock shot up Will's spine and jolted him out of his stunned state. N attacked so swiftly and suddenly that Will was taken aback and nearly stunned. Rocket had still been standing at his side, not yet battle-ready, and there was a good chance that N's unwarned attack might have struck him.

"Rocket, use Water Gun!" he cried, pointing at Purrloin.

"Osha!" Rocket dashed in front of Will, grabbing his scalchop off of his soft belly and holding it down at his side as he ran. For a second Will thought that he was once again being obeyed, but was thankfully proven wrong when Rocket came to a sudden stop and unleashed a torrent of water from his mouth. Must have been circumstance.

"Purrloin, please dodge and then use Copycat," calmly requested N, though his voice betrayed trace amounts of excitement.

Purrloin gracefully leapt to the side as Rocket's Water Gun punched the ground with enough force to dent a dump truck. But not enough speed to catch Purrloin. A split second after it landed, a similar gusher of water shot out of her mouth and slammed into Rocket.

"What!?" shouted Will, astounded by the implausible attack, as Rocket stumbled back, quickly regaining his poise.

Noticing that he escaped the ordeal mostly unscathed, a surge of bravado shot through Rocket. He placed his paws on his hips and sneered at Purrloin. "Oshawa!" he bragged, soon after noticing one notable detail missing from himself.

His scalchop. And that was when it hit him.

Not the scalchop of course, but Purrloin's attack.

Purrloin gratefully fulfilled N's mandated Scratch attack, causing Rocket to stagger back even further, groping at his wounded chin. Without his scalchop he was wide open and Purrloin could land another easy attack. Will wondered why N hadn't jumped on that opportunity like he had the others…

"We're not gonna sit on our hands either! Rocket, another Water Gun!" shouted Will.

"Wott!" Rocket steadied himself and sent another gusher of water towards Purrloin. This time, the attack his its mark directly and Purrloin was sent rolling backwards.

N stroked his chin thoughtfully, nodding like he had just been told a stimulating fact. "I see, Oshawott. But I must hear more!"

"Tch, that said something to him, eh?" remarked Will, "Well then, let's give 'em something to talk about! Rocket, grab your scalchop and then go in for a Tail Whip!"

As the now sopping wet Purrloin was beginning to struggle to her paws, Rocket dashed to the side and scooped his yellow seashell off of the ground. With it now in his grasp he made a U-turn and headed straight for Purrloin.

"P-parr…" hissed Purrloin, shakily trying to balance herself. N's strategies were beginning to displease here. At first it had seemed like the green haired teen had his brains in one place. The blue rat landing a hit on her didn't bode well for competence nor confidence.

Further displeasing her, Purrloin soon felt Rocket's rudder-like tail slapping back and forth across her face. She danced back to try and avoid the rain of blows lowering her defenses.

"Purrloin, use Scratch, please," said N, not seeming to react with a fraction of the urgency William had when _his _Pokémon was in trouble.

_About time, moron. _Without a single iota of reluctance, Purrloin's claws extended from the soft regions between her digit pads as she prepared to slash her rage out on Rocket.

But Will was ready to compensate. "Counter with Razor Shell!"

With lightning speed, Rocket arced his glowing shell down at Purrloin's poised claws. A loud clang emanated from the two contacting attacks sparks briefly flared as edge met edge. Purrloin's attack was effectively nullified and Rocket was still in a beneficial position.

His muscles tensed, sensing endgame, and Will prepared to give the final order. "Alright, now let's-"

In his moments of shock and subsequent triumph, Will had nearly forgotten Oshawott's blithe disobedience of most of his orders. He thusly was given a quick reminder. Out of nowhere, Rocket reeled back and let loose a point-blank Water Gun into Purrloin, blasting the flabbergasted feline all the way back to the feet of its unofficial Trainer.

Will gulped. The attack had been critically damaging and effective, yes, but unexpected and unwanted by both parties. "Alright Rocket, that's e-"

But again, Rocket would have none of that. Gleefully, he whipped off his shell and charged for the prone Purrloin, looking to get in one more strike.

"Rocket, I said no!" said Will, taking a precautionary step forward.

"Osha!" was his response as he brandished his shell and prepared for the attack heedless. Rocket was determined to make his Trainer proud regardless of whether or not he wanted it.

Angrily, Will shoved a hand into his pocket and fished around for Cell's Pokèball. He thrust it in the direction of his insubordinate Pokémon and jammed his thumb onto the center button a tad harder than would normally be recommended.

"Rocket, return!" he growled angrily as the beam of red energy slurped up his Pokémon seconds before it would have wrongfully harmed its defeated opponent, converting his organic mass to energy and storing it within the red and white capsule where he, for the moment, could do no more harm. "I'll deal with you later," he muttered to the ball before storing it back in his bag.

Meanwhile, N was once again knelt down by the side of Purrloin, now wounded beyond the capacity to battle. Gently he stroked her fur, conveying his warmth and love through touch alone.

"Easy now," he cooed softly, scratching Purrloin in between the ears where she liked it best, "You've helped me a lot, Purrloin. I heard everything I needed to hear and more."

"Yeah, about that…" Will meekly scratched the back of his neck and headed towards N. "Rocket got a little out of control at the end there. I'm sorry he almost hurt Purrloin."

"It's a shame. Purrloin has been harmed enough as it is. As have all other Pokémon under the heel of the Pokémon League and its cruel doctrine," said N rather cryptically as he stood, his eyes level to the ground.

"Excuse me?" said Will, closely eyeing the other boy.

N shook his head. "Nothing. Worry not about that. I've heard everything I needed to hear from Oshawott."

"I'm hoping I got a good progress report," muttered Will, cracking a wry smile at N.

Nodding again, N folded his hands behind his back. "Quite. In fact, I heard things that, frankly, I did not think I would hear Oshawott say." Then he smiled at Will. But this smile had something behind it, Will thought. It was not a conveying of emotion. It was a display. A mask. "You are a good person, William Grey. Do not allow yourself to become corrupted."

Will frowned, staring at N like some sort of alien calligraphy that he simply could not read or understand. "I'm still not sure I understand…"

"You will in time." Shrugging, N turned to leave. It was only then did Will notice Purrloin's absence at N's feet; the Devious Pokémon must have slunk off. "As promised, I will help you. You'll I can be very favorable to those who help me. Until next time, William Grey."

N stepped out of the light provided by the Pokémon Center luminescent façade. He vanished into the darkness set over the town only to briefly reappear in the light of a street lamp implanted further down the sidewalk only to walk casually into the darkness that lay beyond.

And then he was gone. Gone without a trace. Leaving nothing behind but small puddles of water from their battle and a strange concoction of confusion and foreboding inside of Will.

"I don't see how walking away into the night like freaking Zubatman 'helps' me," Will muttered indignantly as he rubbed his temple, which was once again beginning to ache. He turned to retrieve his bag from the bench and return to the Pokémon Center to rest of for the continuation of his search the next day. Searching for a criminal in the dead of night would be asking for trouble. "I just need some aspirin and sle-"

Will choked on his words, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. On the bench where he had gloomily sat only moments ago was his bag, exactly where he left it, but there was also something else.

A Pokèball. His Pokèball. _Cell's_ Pokèball.

He rushed towards the object like a starving man to an apple and scooped it up into his hands. Will had kept the Pokèball as secure on his person as he could after Cell had been stolen, in a sealable pocket on his pants, as if keeping it safe would reassure him that Cell was and would be.

_There's no way…_ Will desperately tried to clear his thoughts and think straight, but the excited voices within refused to calm down. There was no conceivable way that N could find Cell, recover him from Redhead, get his Pokèball from Will and then store him inside of it. Maybe, just _maybe _one of those feats was possible, but the odds were just against it.

Slowly, Will took in a deep breath as his finger shakily explored the surface of the ball. _There's only one way to find out…_

Gently he tapped the button. A flash of bright light escaped the ball and pooled into a solid form on the bench. The light faded and left behind a green sphere of a Pokémon, bobbing slowly up and down as it steadily breathed in a state of unconsciousness.

Will's mouth said it before his mind could even think it. "Cell!"

"Lo?" Cell's eyes lazily drifted open. _Wha-_

His was nothing less than a rude awakening. Cell nearly squeaked like a chew toy as Will's lanky arms wrapped around him an violently squeezed all of his air out. Cell drearily felt as if he had just awoken from a long sleep and could barely place what was going on. He remembered the redheaded Trainer torturing the Purrloin, Will running off to distract his Boldore and himself staying behind to free her. He then remembered the little ingrate abandoning him and then…nothing.

But as he felt tears streaking down the surface of his bulbous exterior, he managed to peace things together. Not only through use of his psychic powers did Cell feel what his Trainer felt. Anguish. Abandonment. Droves of self-blame. While Cell had been the one kidnapped, he knew that his Trainer had gotten off worse.

"I swear I'll never leave your side again…" whimpered Will, not caring how humbled and meek he would seem to any onlookers. He let the tears flow free and the feelings come as they would.

Cell resigned to the overbearing hug that brought with it the warmth of being back with his Trainer. Being back home.

"Solo…" he murmured. _Ditto…_

* * *

**After encountering the enigmatic N, a boy who possesses the ability to speak to Pokemon, Will has been reunited with Cell at last! But how was N able to locate and return Cell to his Pokeball without Will or anyone else being any the wiser? What are the intentions of Ghetsis Harmonia and Team Plasma. Where does Will go from here?**

**Stay tuned to find out in Chapter 11: ****_Purpose_**

**Not a whole lot going on for news, though several tourneys were announced for Pokemon X and Y online play coming up this year, such as the Think Fast Competition in June, the All Star Battle in July, and the Fairy-type Cup and Halloween Party tournaments in the fall. I myself have never participated in online tournaments, but these sound really fun and interesting to me and I may try my hand (though I don't claim to be how you say "good" at competitive battling).**

**Reader Question for this week is: do any of these tournaments sound interesting to you? Answer after you review, and I'll see you next week!**


	12. Back on the Road

**Chapter 11: Back on Track**

* * *

**Accumula Town, Pokemon Center**

* * *

Leaving one's home to strike out on a grand cross-country venture, for some teenagers, might seem difficult to adjust to. Waking up in an unfamiliar place, possibly walking excruciatingly long distances through difficult conditions only to plop down in a likewise unfamiliar bed to do it all over again tomorrow. Others cut of more serious cloth, such as soldiers or working men and women, may scoff and think fie of such toil. But for people of the average ages of sixteen through twenty, a daunting task in every sense.

Not so for Bianca Marie Belle.

A bed was a bed to Bianca; as long as it was soft, warm and cushy it was good enough for her. Heck, those qualities didn't even matter if she was tired enough. As long as there was a bed to fall asleep in and food to wake up to, the young blonde was content to rinse and repeat.

On the morning in question, Bianca staggered into the Pokémon Center's lobby particularly drowsy and dreary. She had stayed up far past the bedtime her father would have enforced had she been at home, and blew right past the one that Will and Cheren had both suggested while ingesting well over the universally recommended amount of sweets for one to consume.

"Uuuhhhn…" moaned Bianca who, truth be told, at the moment curiously resembled the undead creature her voice mimicked. Her head felt as clogged as her nose was as she shambled in the direction of the Center's cafeteria, the white floor tiles cold under her bare feet.

Bianca had yet to change out of her pajamas, a light blue tube top and fuzzy orange pajama pants decorated with bright yellow Pikachu faces. She had also evidently neglected to do anything about her hair, which hung about her face like the mane of a Pyroar that had just gone through the drier.

"…and, uh…yeah. Do what you want with it, and, uh…bye."

Hearing the sound of a familiar voice, Bianca perked up as her mind temporarily permeated the drowsy fog surrounding it. Across the lobby, accessing one of the many video phones available for a small fee to whomever might need to access such a service, was William Grey.

The young man was fully dressed and seemed to be running at optimum levels of energy, something Bianca herself might have considered a sin herself. Cell, whose return she had rejoiced at over dinner the previous night, floated similarly awake by his side.

"Will?" she said aloud, trying hasten her pace towards her but stumbling on account that most of her muscles were still asleep, "What are you doing up so early?"

"Huh? Oh, Bianca, it's you." Surprised at first, Will turned away from the phone. He had recognized Bianca's voice and her physical appearance soon after, but not after some initial confusion. With her hair looking like it had just gone through a tornado it was a bit hard to tell at first glance. "Nice to see you're up," he replied.

"Heh, well, I wouldn't say 'up'. Still a little tired…"

Will shook his head in mild disappointment. "You ate all of those cupcakes, didn't you?"

"But they were free in the cafeteria!" protested Bianca, still detecting the faint sensation of strawberry frosting on her lips.

"That doesn't mean they aren't good for you! Cheren and I said-" Sighing, Will forced himself to relax. He had a feeling that Cell would have soon urged him to do so. If he started babysitting Bianca again at the precipice of his current intentions, he might find it hard again to separate.

"Listen," he meekly continued, adjusting his cap, "I don't mean to be abrupt, but I'm leaving and-"

"What!?" shrieked Bianca, shocked to the extreme. Her hair seemed to blow out of her face to give way to her glistening green eyes begging him to remain. Her bottom lip began to quiver like gelatin in an earthquake. A sinking, guilty feeling took to Will's gut. He knew it would be hard to let Bianca down.

"Bianca, relax! And just listen to me for a second, will ya?" Will jerked a thumb over his shoulder to the video phone. "I was just sending a message to Professor Juniper. I sent Boldore's Pokèball over to her via teleporter so she could keep an eye on it. Can't give it back to Redhead, now can I?"

_I'm already making due with _one _disobedient Pokémon, _Will wryly thought, Rocket's Pokèball seeming almost to grow heavier, _Who knows how well I'd be able to train Boldore…_

"B-but why can't you come with Cheren and me?" squeaked Bianca, still failing to get Will's message. Will felt the urge to use a very cliché phrase but fought it in favor of better explaining things to Bianca.

Smiling, he placed a hand on her shoulder and tapped her chin with the other hand. "Hey, I'm not leaving _because_ of you. I just have…a schedule to keep, that's all. I wanted to be halfway to Striaton City by now, but of course…_other _plans got in the way…"

Memories from the handful of trying, painful and downright confusing experiences he had shared with Bianca and his Pokémon flashed through his mind: Circe, rescuing Purrloin and then Cell, Team Plasma's cryptic speech and the icing on the weird cake, N.

"S-so this is goodbye?" stammered Bianca.

"No! This isn't goodbye! This is just, uh…" Will racked his mind for a more friendly way to phrase it, biting down on his lip as he did so. "See you later! Yeah, not goodbye but 'see you around.' Bianca, we work for the same Professor. We're traveling through the same region collecting the same badges and capturing the same Pokémon. I reckon we'll meet more than once on the way."

Bianca racked her brain in a similar fashion. Quite contrary to Will, who was trying to conjure up a plan to slink away, Bianca was trying to keep him around. Years before she had even entertained the idea of actually leaving on a journey, Bianca had dreamed up whimsical sagas of adventure and discovery with close friends by her sides like in all of her favorite books and movies. Every good story needed supporting characters, after all.

Cheren had been Bianca's friend her entire life, and when Will entered the picture she thought her posse had finally come together. But then Cheren had decided to strike out on his own, and it seemed that Will was planning to do something similar.

"Can we at least have a battle before we go?" Bianca squealed, hope lighting up in her eyes. "You battled Cheren, but you haven't battled me yet! Let's see how the both of us-"

"Bianca, I really don't want to battle right now!"

The blonde's suggestion ended with a sharp breath. After having interrupted her rather quickly, Will's face had turned a shade pinker than normal and he took a sudden interest in his shoes. Normally when Bianca was shouted at like that, she could clearly see the irritation or anger in the other person's eyes. Not in Will's, however. From the way his eyes dropped and the tenseness of his shoulders, it was almost like he looked ashamed.

He drew in a breath and then looked back at her. "Bianca…I'm sorry I just snapped at you, I…I'm just not really in the mood to battle. Some other time, I promise, but…just not right now." Will tugged on his bag's shoulder strap. "I kinda want to just be alone right now."

"I understand," Bianca squeaked, trying very hard to hold back tears. Bianca hadn't lied; she really did understand. She just wished she didn't have to.

Will nodded, heading for the door. He hesitated before looking back at Bianca. "See you later, Bianca." He turned and left, Cell drifting dutifully behind him.

"Yeah," mumbled Bianca, "Later."

…

In terms of forestation, Unova's Route 2 was far more forested than Route 1 and covered a much longer stretch of lands than the latter Route. This was due in part to the fact that Nuvema Town had once been included in Route 1.

In layman's terms, it wasn't always there. But now it was, so that made Route 1 shorter. Everyone follow?

Try as he might, Will couldn't shake the downtrodden shadow that had fallen over him when Cell had been lost to him. If anything, it had gotten worse since the two had been reunited. A constant nag kept nipping at Will from the inside. _Yeah, so you failed your best friend_, it would hiss every time he tried to bring himself out of the funk. _And you'll probably do it again sooner or later._

But Will steeled himself, ignored the nag, and kept moving. That was all he could do.

"Here we go, buddy," said Will to the more-than-happy-to-be-reunited Solosis floating gingerly by his side, "You ready to get to work and start filling up this Pokèdex?"

"So solo!" said Cell. Adding a Pokémon to the team that wasn't the rambunctious Rocket was fine by him.

Seeing Unova in all of its full glory and collecting Gym Badges was all well and good as Will went along, but he could not allow himself to lose sight of his true purpose in his adventure: the full completion of the Pokèdex for his patron, Professor Juniper.

There were over seven hundred slots that needed filling inside that tiny machine. Many he would be able to find in Unova. Others he might have to travel abroad to find. Back to his old homeland Kanto and its nearby neighbor Johto. On the other end of the continent in the barren region of Orre. Across the seas in the tropical Hoenn or the rugged and snow-covered Sinnoh.

His legs tingled as thoughts of global adventure and discovery pranced through his mind. His projections when leaving Nuvema had been rather base and stopped at Unova's borders. But, he realized, to complete the Pokèdex, he would have to travel across the world, searching far and wide.

And that was fine by him.

But for now, Will stood in Unova. And so that was where his mind needed to reside as well if he wanted to get any serious work done.

"Alright buddy, here we are." Will tapped a few keys on his Xtransceiver and brought up a digital map of the Unova region. He zoomed it in to Route 2, where a flashing red dot represented his device as it connected to a satellite in Earth's outer atmosphere owned by Maruko Corp, the company who manufactured his brand of Xtransceiver and maintained its servers. "Now, if I'm reading this correctly, there's a path we can take that'll bring us to Striaton City in under a day. No detours this time. We'll catch Pokémon on the way if we see 'em, but I'm not wasting another day chasing Pokémon off the path like yesterday. Got it?"

Cell simply nodded in agreement. For a creature with no head and only a body though, Will had come to interpret the bobbing motion he made as such a gesture.

Will nearly paused for a response from Rocket, but then remembered the rambunctious Oshawott was tucked in his Pokèball as a virtual time-out for his behavior when battling N the previous night. He'd need a little more training before Will allowed him to tag along freely as they roamed the countryside.

Still looking down at his Xtransceiver, Will heard the sharp snap of a twig and his head snapped up. Standing in the grass a good three yards from the path was a Patrat, rigidly frozen with one tiny paw resting on the twig it had just snapped. Its eyes locked with Will's in horror knowing that it had made a big oopsie.

"Cell," Will said levelly, not budging or even breaking eye contact with the Patrat for fear of spooking it, "Use Psywave."

Cell was not affected by his Trainer's compulsory cautiousness and boldly floated forward, a rainbow glow encircling his body. A similar glow erupted around Patrat and the tiny rodent began to drift upwards.

Patrat flew into a panic and began to chitter and thrash against the invisible force, grimly realizing that its one opportunity to escape had been blown.

"Now, throw him down!"

The very same force that had lifted Patrat up suddenly and violently sent him hurdling towards the ground, shaking him up significantly. The Scout Pokémon hopped onto his feet and stared vehemently stared at Cell, ready to counterattack.

But instead, he turned right around and ran away.

Will bit down on his lower lip; he was in no mood to waste any more time searching for another Patrat. _Guess it's safe to assume that this one's ability is Run Away…_

"Cell, cut him off with Rollout!" ordered Will.

Cell dropped to the ground and spurred himself after Patrat, kicking up a cloud of gravel as he shot off the path and into the grass. He turned at a wide arc instead of going directly at Patrat. For a second, it looked like he was going around it.

But once he was at a favorable angle, Cell turned sharply and was suddenly heading straight for Patrat's side as he dashed madly for the bushes. Cell slammed into Patrat and sent him tumbling onto his belly, not getting up as fast as he had before.

It was an open opportunity for Will, and boy did he cease it. Will jammed a hand into his the pocket on his pants in which he kept his Pokèballs, tightly gripped the capsule in his hand, wound up like a pitcher on the mound, and hurled it.

"Pokèball, go!" he cried, mimicking the trademarked catchphrase of the Pokèball industry. The second it left his hands, he crossed both of his middle fingers over both of his index fingers and furrowed his brow in concentration.

_Wow, _he thought_, never knew I'd care this much about catching a Patrat…_

Let the record show that Will, while packing a good set of legs for running and a moderately impressive endurance, lacked upper body strength and any sort of coordination as such. But in actively throwing a Pokèball, will had done half of the work. The Pokèball would do the rest, popping open was it got within a certain distance of a wild Pokémon.

And it did. Will's throw was certainly not dead-on, but the Pokèball managed to stop midair right in front of Patrat, sucking the little guy in with a flash of red and snapping shut and dropping to the ground.

Will's heart caught in his throat and he couldn't help but rush over to inspect the ball. To see whether or not it had worked. The ball's central button flashed bright red as it shook once. Twice. Three times. And then…

_Diiiing!_

The Pokèball stood and for a moment, so did the entire world. Will bent over and picked it up, cradling it in his hand like a wounded Pidove. Cell joined his Trainer to inspect the now innate ball, a bit bothered by Will's excitement in procuring a mere Patrat.

But he had done it nonetheless. A smile of wonderment spread across Will's face as he basked in the Pokèball and all that it represented. "We…did it…"

His first legitimate catch.

A momentous moment indeed, but Will was not one to let himself lose sight of the goals he himself had set. Collecting himself, he placed the ball in his bag and allowed himself a deep, calming breath.

"That's one down," he said to Cell as he stepped back onto the path and resumed his journey to Striaton City, still a ways away, "All of the rest to go…"

…

"Cell, Tackle it, now!"

Cell shook off the direct Quick Attack he had just suffered and shot through the air like a bullet, striking the Pidove right on its side. Pidove's wing crumpled and she faltered, unable to pick itself back up into the air and fell onto the ground in a feathery heap. She let out a pathetic coo as she tried to get up.

The first time she had been sent crashing to the ground by Psyswave, it had hurt, but she had been able to get right back up and attack Cell from below. The second time she had ended up on the ground due to rebounding off of Cell's Reflect it had hurt a bit more, and she found herself straining.

This time around, Pidove was simply worn down from battle, and with a wounded wing, it was downright impossible.

Will smirked. His time to shine again. "Pokèball, go!"

Pidove let out a frightened squeak as the Pokèball struck her feathery hide but was quickly silenced as it sucked her inside. William did not experience the pure feeling of mysticism that he had during the first catch, but he could not deny the buzz that shot through his nerves as he prepared for a new one.

Again, three shakes and a ding. Will retrieved his prize and stored it in his bag, right next to Patrat's ball.

Pumping a fist in the air, Will yet out an excited whoop. "Yeah! That's the way we do it!" Arm still raised, he pivoted quickly to Cell and shouted, "High-five!"

Both quickly realized the futility of said sentiment and the mood deteriorated a bit, Will disgruntledly lowering his hand and suffering through the awkward silence.

"Oh, well…sorry about that."

"So solo…" _No harm, no foul…_

"So, uh…wanna get going again?"

"So, so solos." _Yeah, yeah, sounds good._

Without another word, both turned back and headed for the path nearby. Will had kept true to his creed and not strayed far from his literal and metaphorical path; Pidove had been preening her feathers on a branch hanging over the path, altering Will to her presence via the rapid shaking of the thin branch. A well placed Psywave from Cell put the figurative ball into play in Will's favor.

Pidove and Patrat's catches now behind them, Will and Cell proceeded further down Route 2's main path. Within William's bag still rested three empty Pokèballs.

Three empty Pokèballs that he very much intended on filling.

…

Will could hardly believe his luck. In fact, it took more than a little nudge from himself-from cell too-to snap out of his excited stupor and actually act in the face of his rare find. Finding a Lickitung on Route 2 was very uncommon even for those who specifically searched them out due to the simple fact that there weren't that many.

But Will had found one. The rotund pink Pokémon had plopped down in a clearing within seeing distance of anyone walking along the path to enjoy a bushel of Pecha Berries growing nearby. Pulling out his Pokèdex to identify the thing seemed to be becoming second nature for Will.

**Lickitung, **it had droned, **The Licking Pokémon. Lickitung's most prominent feature is its six-foot long tongue, for which it is infamous. Saliva secreted by the tongue is extremely sticky and adhesive, though a great deal of force can free anything trapped by this solution. Along with the tongue's gripping capabilities, this saliva is used to keep a hold on things that Lickitung wishes to grab hold of. Unlike the human tongue, Lickitung tongues have skeletal support due to their largely muscular buildup. Because the tongue is so massive, it is internally attached to and supported by Lickitung's tail. The tail acts as a lever for when a Lickitung needs to move its tongue up or down. This Lickitung is male and an estimated six years of age. It possess the ability Oblivious and can use the moves Lick, Supersonic, Defense Curl and Knock Off.**

As stated before, Will could not believe his luck. But he also could not believe his bad luck. The captures of Patrat, Pidove and eventually a Lillipup had left him with only two remaining empty Pokèballs. One of which had failed to capture Lickitung, a higher-level Pokémon, and now lay in two pieces on the ground. This left him with one last try.

This left him with one remaining Pokèball and an exhausted Pokémon. Aside from battling Lickitung, Cell had amassed no notable injuries from the other three Pokèball save for a lucky Quick Attack on behalf of Pidove. Potions could heal injuries, but not reinvigorate stamina. Cell was nearly bushed.

_Which leaves me with one option…_ Will bitterly thought, his fingers tensing over the only Pokèball he had that housed a fully rested Pokémon.

"Eh," he neutrally decided, grabbing the Pokèball off his belt and holding it up in the air, primed for throwing, "What's the worst that could happen? Cell, come back for now. Leave this to Rocket."

Cell whipped around, horror and confusion written on his small face. "Solos!?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't sure."

"So lo solo."

"YES, I am sure that I'm sure! Now get back here pronto!"

Rolling his eyes, Cell ambled slowly back to Will's side. Had he not the boundless affection that he did in fact have for the young human, he would have relished in the opportunity to watch Rocket to ruin everything once again. It seemed that he would simply had to settle for cringing from the sidelines.

While maybe a bit extreme, Cell's reservations were not completely unfounded. Will sucked in a deep breath as he readied the ball. "Well…here goes nothing. Rocket, let's go!"

"Osha osha!" cheered Rocket, ready as ever for battle.

"Tahng!" spat the Lickitung, who's voice seemed perpetually choked by the massive tongue flowing out of its mouth. He stomped his feet dominantly and prepared for a new challenger.

"Now Rocket," said Will, hoping to squeeze in a quick pep talk, "This battle isn't super important or anything, it's just practice. But even so, I'd appreciate it if you-"

"Oshawa!" Rocket activated his Razor Shell and charged forward, leaving Will in the dust.

"-listened…"

Lickitung stared at the pathetic little creature charging for him, utterly unimpressed. Its Razor Shell didn't look fit enough to cut butter, let alone wound him. Lickitung extended his saturated tongue and gave Rocket a good long Lick, running his tongue up the entire length of Rocket's body.

"Wa, osha!" Rocket shivered as he felt the chilling saliva coat his entire body, standing back to observe Lickitung's handiwork. Disgustedly, he looked up to the larger Pokémon.

Lickitung gave Rocket a _"I hope you now realize why that was a bad idea"_ look and for a moment, the two stood perfectly still and silent. Rocket let another battle cry serve as his answer to whether or not he had learned anything.

"Leketahng…" _Alright, I've had just about enough of this…_Utilizing his round foot, Lickitung let his tongue flow freely out of his mouth as he pivoted around and whacked the charging Rocket with a rather nasty Knock Off attack.

As expected, Rocket ended up knocked right on his back much to Will's chagrin and Cell's amusement. It was then that Lickitung decided to take his leave and turned towards the forest.

Will tensed. He likely would not have another opportunity like this again. His right hand clamped around and empty Pokèball and he hurled it straight for the back of Lickitung's head. Lickitung.

But Lickitung, not only being of a much higher level than the other Pokémon but also retained much more energy, resisted. Again he spun around, three feet of tongue lolling out of his mouth, and batted the Pokèball away.

Or more particularly, right into Will's face.

"Ack!" As Will stumbled back, clutching his face and allowing Kantonian curse-word slip past his lips, Lickitung skipped giddily into the forest and away from capture.

Rubbing where the Pokèball had hit on his forehead, Will cringed as he got one last glimpse of Lickitung's pink tail escaping into the woods. He bent down to pick up the Pokèball, which was still in one piece.

"Well, at least it didn't break," he conceded, trying to take the good with the bad. But it seemed that Rocket was trying to make that harder with each passing day.

_Rocket…_

Will told himself to be calm. Will told himself not to overreact. Will told himself there would be another Lickitung another day for another catch. But you know what? Will was not going to let this go another time.

Without saying a word, he whipped out Rocket's Pokèball and returned the rebellious Oshawott back inside. There was a time and place for really cracking down on his problem areas, but there and then would not be it. At least, not in the middle of the forest.

_Patience is a virtue, _thought Will, though bitterly coming to terms with a flaw of his, _and I'm not very virtuous…_

This was the point in time where Cell would usually offer up a snide chide on how it was foolish to have chosen Rocket over him. Or at all, for the matter. But like Will just had, Cell realized that there was a time and a place, and there and then were neither.

"Come on," Will grumbled, a bit irately, and nothing less than eager to put the whole ordeal behind them and move on. Feeling the welt forming on his forehead, Will winced. He lowered his hand to show Cell and meekly asked, "Is it bad?"

"So solo…" answered Cell neutrally, turning away slightly to avoid Will's eyes. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him…considering it already had. And perhaps for the first time, Cell was glad that he did not have shoulders, for they probably would have produced an overly nonchalant shrug.

…

It was about two hours later and Will had long since gotten over Rocket's latest misdemeanor. Not to say that everything was all roses and daises with him. He wasn't particularly happy, just rather mellow, though the ordeal had not gotten to him either.

On his way from battling Lickitung, Will had seen a multitude of Pokémon, albeit ones he had already caught and uploaded data to on the 'dex. Pidoves, Patrats, Lillipups. Just the common rabble.

And considering he only had one Pokèball left, Will wanted to save it for something special.

Said Pokèball was firmly clasped in Will's right hand, his knuckles partaking in a seemingly random pattern of clenching and unclenching, turning stark white only to release and once again let blood flow.

Cell noticed this and nudged Will's hand, bringing attention to it. "So losis so?"

"Huh?" Will looked down and saw where Cell was pointed to. "Oh, that? Well…ah, I guess I just kinda want to use this before we get to Striaton. It almost feels wasted having failed on Lickitung and I still got it back."

"Solo," replied Cell, content with the answer.

Will shrugged. "Though I don't know really of any other Pokémon common on this Route." He let it just remain at that for a moment, but then remembered something distinct. He pulled out his Pokèdex and flipped open the screen. "Why look around like a normal Trainer when I have _this _baby…"

Punching a few keys at the Pokèdex's main menu, Will navigated to a screen featuring a map of Unova. Only unlike the one on his Xtransceiver, which was mainly for navigational purposes, this one featured links to every area in Unova where Pokémon were known to be encountered, and just who those Pokémon were.

"Let's see…" He pressed the button that navigated to Route 2 and read down the short list. "Patrat, Pidove, Lillipup…" He read the list up and down several times before identifying the one problem spot, a skill he had honed throughout the years of taking tests on those blasted scantron sheets. Snapping the Pokèdex shut, he shoved it back into his jacket pocket. "Aside from Lickitung, I've encountered all of the common Pokémon on this Route. Well, all except for-"

"Parr!"

Will and Cell locked eyes, both of them grinning. The young human relished in the fantastic sensation that was being unable to believe your own luck.

"Would you look at that." Will cracked his knuckles and gave the Pokèball and experimental toss. "Looks like we've got ourselves a-"

"VBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!"

A sharp and heavy buzz drowned out the telltale cry of a Purrloin somewhere not far from where they were. A buzz that most certainly did _not _sound like it came from something as cute and cuddly as the Pokémon he had encountered thus far.

"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" asked Will.

Cell rolled his eyes. "So lo solos." _Because it probably _is _something bad. And you're going to drag us into It anyway._

Will started to run. Thus leaving Cell to, once again, ponder the genealogy of the Grey family. Such a trait as he was exhibiting should have, by the laws of science, caused his line to have long since been wiped out thanks to natural selection.

For a rather crippling flaw about the Grey family, or so as far as Cell could tell, was that when sounds of danger broke through the night, the Greys started to run.

In the direction of the danger.

* * *

**Come new info announced for ORAS. Mega Sceptile and Swampert have surfaced, as well as Mega Diancie. Check 'em out for yourselves. Mega Sceptile looks pretty cool, though with it's new Grass/Dragon typing (SQUEE!) I was/am still a bit iffy on it having the Lightning Rod ability. And Mega Swampert is definitely cool. He's beefed up in between Gen 3 and now, though he definitely skipped leg day XD Also, the forms of Groudon and Kyogre on the box art, these have been confirmed to be Primal/Prehistoric/Primeval(fickle translations are fickle) forms, which are a sort of regressive Mega Evolution called Ancient Devolution. A cool concept, I'll admit.**

**Also, Archie seems to have gotten his own Mega Evolution. Check his new art and you'll know what I mean XD**

**Anywho, Reader Question Time! We've talked about movies in the Pokemon world. It's been confirmed that it isn't a cultureless wasteland like Ash's personality would have you believe. But technically it has also been confirmed that video games exist in this world what with the consoles in your bedroom at the start of every game. So what game titles do you think would be developed in that world? Personally, I'd probably occupy my off time by playing some favorite titles of mine, ****_The Conkeldurr Scrolls V: Cherrim _****and ****_Feebas Effect_****. What are some titles you can come up with?**

**Answer after you review, and I'll see ya next week :D**

**Quick sidenote! If you have some free time an want to check out another fic, check out the new "Unovian Chronicles" by Pokerus.**


	13. Busy As a Combee

**Chapter 12: Busy As a Combee**

* * *

**Unova, Route 2**

* * *

As per usual, the finer details began to file into Will's mind _after _he chose to run headlong into danger. Buzzing sounds filled his ears as the young man pressed closer and closer through the brush and towards the source. Buzzing meant Bug-Types, creepy-crawlies that Will wasn't overly fond of in the first place.

What's more, the kind of buzzing he was hearing at the moment, a deep set hum, usually meant a bee Pokémon. Of which Will was even _less _fond of.

He recalled a particular incident back in his hometown of Viridian City which had resulted in his dislike, if not a downright fear, of bees. A young William of four years had innocently been playing in his backyard sandbox, aiding his noble Autobot action figures in rescuing his sister's dolls, which he had borrowed (or stolen, depends who you would ask) from the villainous Decepticons. Long story short, a Beedrill visiting his mother's garden had strayed close to the boy and been provoked by Will as he boisterously pit his playthings against each other in mortal combat.

It had been a minor sting physically but a grievous wound mentally, and it wouldn't be until years later that Will could claim he was not "afraid" of bee Pokémon.

And it had been a solid year and a half after the ordeal until he could even stand the sight of yellow and black stripes.

Will burst through the brush into a very small and cramped clearing and tensed up with a mixture of fear and frustration. "Oh, blast it all…"

It definitely was _not _a Beedrill. It was much, much worse.

Hovering adjacent to a thick oak tree was a Bug-Type of epic proportions, nearly half of Will's height. It's abnormally large abdomen was of black and yellow and resembled a hexagonal gown of sorts. Connected via a short black thorax was its main body, a spherical mass the size of a bowling ball, protruding from which were two long black arms. Two opaque wings kept it aloft. Its head was shaped somewhat like a V and sported two sickly yellow mandibles that looked like they could rend a rather meaty snippet from Will's own flesh if they tried. All of this was observed from the rear, due to the Pokémon's front facing the tree.

"So, lo so-" Cell entered the clearing behind Will, chastising him for his reckless behavior. He understandably stopped at the sight of the hulking insectoid and gulped. "-los…"

"Tell me about it," grumbled Will, not entirely thrilled with the situation he wound them both up in. Odds were that if he tried to run, he'd be gunned down by whatever ranged attacks Vespiquen possessed.

The Pokémon swiveled around as if on cue, and it did not look too happy. A shiver went down Will's spine as he was given a glimpse of its soulless red eyes, looking none too pleased that Will and Cell had shown up. In between the void-like slits, a red gem was embedded in its forehead.

"VBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!" it cried, the fan-like flapping of its wings intensifying.

Determinedly, Will jammed his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out his Pokèdex. His moves were crisp and rigid as if identifying a Pokémon had never been a more vital task.

This, of course, was only to stop himself from shaking. Will prided himself on no longer being afraid of bees, for the record. He did not, subsequently for the record, feel ashamed of sharing a very common phobia shared among all sapient beings: a fear of sudden and unalterable death.

**Vespiquen, the Beehive Pokémon. Warning: Vespiquen are extremely territorial Pokémon that will fight to the death to defend their claimed territories. Despite commonly leaving any activity within claimed territory to a Vespiquen's Combee thralls, Vespiquen are ruthless fighters and are not averse to doing battle themselves. Once a Vespiquen reaches a certain age, its internal habitat begins to produce grubs that eventually become Combee, prompting the Vespiquen to claim territory of its own. Wandering Vespiquen who have yet to claim a hive of their own are called Rogues and do not control any Combee hive. All Vespiquen are female, and this specimen is an estimated five years of age. She possesses the ability Pressure and can use the moves Gust, Cut, Power Gem and Pursuit.**

_Guess that's why I don't see any Combee, _thought Will, trying his best to assert his dominance to Vespiquen by staring her down until he formulated a plan, _At least I won't have to deal with those…_

Lucky for him, Vespiquen benefitted from the use of no Bug-Type attacks, thus eliminating the possibility of super-effective moves striking Cell. But that still did not make up for the vast level disadvantage Will knew that he was at.

"ZBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!" Vespiquen hissed once again, raising her arms to the sky as if handing down a abhorrent proclamation. Her entire demeanor seemed to press towards Will and urge him to leave. Like he was not supposed to be there.

And then he saw it. "Arceus almighty…"

Wouldn't you have guessed: secured to the tree behind Vespiquen by a sticky orange substance was a panicked Purrloin. And not just any Purrloin. It was the one Will had saved once before and had battled against at beckoning call of N.

The Purrloin with the crooked tail.

"That little guy tried to mack on your honey, didn't he?" speculated Will, good-old-fashioned cynicism allowing him to forget about his woes if only for a moment. "Yeah, he's caused me a little more trouble than he's worth, to be honest."

Will's statement along with an accompanying glare from Cell, assuring hostilities still remained between the two, caused Purrloin to only hiss back at the taunting human and his accompanying blob. It was bad enough that the first rescue had happened and put a dark mark on her ego file. Now she was facing a second, and they weren't making it easy on her in the first place…

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!" was Vespiquen's less than mannerly response. Once again she raised her hands to the sky, and not just for show this time around.

The scarlet gem in between her eyes began to glow as a small bead of energy formed in between her palms. The energy expanded and expended until it was twice the size of a soccer ball. And then she let it loose.

"I AM SICK AND TIRED OF POWER GEM!" Will shouted in a panic as he leapt less than gracefully out of the way, the Power Gem attack exploding behind him. He scurried quickly to his feet, expecting another. _With the rate these things are getting shot at me, it's only a matter of time before one actually hits home…_

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!"

With one upstart seemingly dealt with, Vespiquen turned her attention back to Purrloin. The little miscreant needed to be punished for her attempted theft of Vespiquen's yet unrefined honey. Much stickier than the intended result of the substance, the honey trapped the unsuspecting Purrloin instead of providing her with an easy meal.

The inverse had in fact become the reality. Purrloin's greedy happening upon the area which Vespiquen had just claimed as her own would provide _her _with a very valuable resource: an example. After she was done, the other Pokémon of the forest would no better than to trifle with her.

But not if William Grey had anything to say about it. Which he did. And those initial three words were, "Cell, use Rollout!"

"BZ?" Vespiquen received a cruel reminder that Will was still present, and that he was not to be ignored. Before she could even comprehend that her attack had not annihilated the intruder, Cell barreled into her midsection and caused her to crumple like foil, her body lurching painfully forward as Cell careened into her abdomen and sent her into a tree.

Will covered the distance between him and Purrloin as fast as his long legs would carry him. He knew that Vespiquen would not stay down for long.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this…" grumbled Will to Purrloin as he began to examine and prod the sultry orange substance binding Purrloin to the tree. Purrloin, her pride still wounded, simply hissed.

"Point taken. Now, let's get you outta-" Grabbing one of Purrloin's front paws, which was free of the honey's grasp and hanging in the air, and gave a gentle tug to gauge the weakness of the honey. What he found was a lack thereof. Vespiquen's honey was as strong as liquid concrete; tugging on Purrloin didn't even yield a nudge.

The lanky William Grey would always be one of the first out of most people to determine that brute force was not the answer. Likely if he tried simply tugging, Purrloin would be freed at the cost of her fur being painfully ripped from her body, possibly damaging her skin. Not a desired result.

_Lickitung probably could have _licked _the honey off… _a voice chided from within. Will glared physically, though the gesture was aimed at himself. Of all the people who could and would bring him down, he hated when it was himself.

"Bzzzzzzt-t-t…" Meanwhile, Vespiquen was slowly beginning to recover from the sudden shock of Rollout. The attack had been super-effective, yes, but her higher level defenses dwarfed Cell's offensive capabilities significantly, surprise most likely having been the only reason she suffered the amount of damage that she did. It would only be a matter of time before she was back in the fight again.

Will bit down on his lip and cursed. He needed more time. "Cell, us Psywave! Keep her down until Purrloin is free!"

"Lo!" responded Cell, rainbow lights flaring around his body. A shimmering wave of light pulsed off of his body and into Vespiquen, knocking her back down.

Only a few seconds later, she began once again to get up.

Panicked, Cell reared back. But he seized control of himself just as quickly as Vespiquen had. His Trainer needed him, and he wasn't about to let Will down.

Or Purrloin. But Will came first.

Cell unleashed Psywave after Psywave into the weakened Vespiquen, forcing her back onto the ground with each dose of the psychic assault. As his best friend desperately kept Vespiquen at bay, Will busied himself to put the diversion to use.

"Pulling her out is a no," he muttered to himself, dreadfully trying to think of a solution. "Could probably melt this stuff with enough heat…" Will's arms began automatically towards his bag, but he stopped himself. "No, with a match? That'd take at least an hour…gah! What am I supposed to do!?"

"Mraaawr…" gurgled Purrloin, angst and embarrassment beginning to meld into furry. _No, seriously, take your time…_

"Agh, this is impossible!" shouted Will, hands tightly gripping his skull, "I need more-"

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!"

Will gulped. "…time."

Enough was enough for Vespiquen. Cell's onslaught of Psywaves had not lasted forever. Every time, the power of the attack decreased as the time in between attacking increased until Vespiquen had it in her for one final push. With a furious explosion of Gust from her wings, Vespiquen took suddenly back into the air and with her sundering assault sent Cell flying straight into Will's legs. The teen took a tumble and unconsciously began to scurry back as Vespiquen lividly advanced with murder in her eyes.

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!" she once again shrieked, each decibel striking Will like an individual stinger as her arm began to glow white and adopt a sharp edge. Just as Will assumed she was about to lurch forward and strike him…

-she whirled around and raised her arm into the air, prepared to finish Purrloin with a Cut. The human could wait, but the trespasser had to be dealt with.

And then, it returned to him. That feeling he had felt when on the precipice of being smote by Boldore's Power Gem right before turning on a mental dime and hurling Rocket at the raging Rock-Type. The feeling as if time had slowed down to a near stop, giving him one last chance to come up with something.

_There's just no way to move Purrloin without hurting her, _lamented Will as he dwelled on what might have been, _I knew I should have caught Vespiquen when I had the chance!_

And then Will knew what he had to do.

All sound in the forest, in the entire _world _hushed down to a bare whisper. The only sound he heard was that of his heart beating and his himself speaking as his hand reached into a pocket and wrapped around the cold surface of the Pokèball. "Cell, on my signal use Psywave…"

He threw the ball just as Vespiquen began to ark her arm down towards the seemingly doomed Purrloin. As the ball sailed through the air, all sound rushed back into his ears in a sudden torrent with another quickly accompanying the raucous din.

The sound of a Pokémon being sucked into a Pokèball, and said machine plopping softly into the grass.

Vespiquen was caught…

-in Will's trick.

She brought her arm down only to meet empty air and just barely nick the wood. "BZZZT!?" She stared in confusion at the honey covered bark now with a surprising lack of trapped Purrloin. Vespiquen turned her head to the sound of feet thumping in the grass and saw the skinny human charging straight for her.

"NOW!"

Eyes squeezed shut in concentration, Cell shuddered a unprecedented amounts of kinetic energy built up around him. This was looking to be the most powerful Psywave Cell ever unleashed.

And the most powerful one that ever missed.

To one unfamiliar with the physics of psychics (which may sound a bit contradictory), the odds of a psychokinetic missing its target might have been thought of as impossible. It was, however, very possible. Cell had just finished hitting Vespiquen with well over a dozen Psywaves and was understandably exhausted. Coupled with Vespiquen's constant side-to-side movement, selecting an improper target was easier than it seemed.

Will's heart leapt up into his throat as Vespiquen rotated slowly around, cocking her head at him as if to say, _"Was that meant for me?"_

"I'm beginning to regret a lot of decisions that I've made recently," Will moaned, grabbing Cell and backing up slowly as Vespiquen began to approach. Her arm adopted a sinister and familiar glow.

_Don't worry, _she hissed in Pokèspeak, _You won't live long enough to truly feel that regret._

On the contrary. In fact, Will would live long enough to reflect on a lot of things. Namely, how lucky he was. Completely out of the blue came a sudden blast of sparkling yellow powder, a fine layer of which covered Vespiquen. Amidst his shock, Will recognized this substance: Stun Spore.

"Cell, one more! Quick!" he cried, resolving to count his blessings at a later time. Summoning every last bit of energy he had left in him, Cell let out

The wave of psychic energy slammed into Vespiquen, knocking her against the tree. Struggling against the paralyzing effects of the Stun Spore, Vespiquen tried epically to achieve a killing blow. The human had worn her patience-no pun intended-to a thread.

But when Vespiquen tried to flap her wings to whip up another ferocious wind, she found that they would not move at all. Her back too felt quite stiff and…sticky.

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!" Vespiquen began to rage and thrash, stuck in her own honey. Her arms, wings, and neck were all stuck firmly in the viscid solution. And so ironically it was that she, like Purrloin, could only hate the human as it bent down, grabbed its Pokèball off the ground and take off in the other direction with the green Pokémon in tow.

"Later, loser!" shouted Will as he crashed through the tree line and into the forest, swatting aside branches and brush to beat a hasty retreat. There wasn't a cell in his body that wanted to be around when Vespiquen got free. "It's been real…sweet!"

Vespiquen could hear nothing but the laughter of the human and his partner as the vanished into the forest. She shouted horrid threats and insults at them as they flew, but to no avail. They were long gone and wouldn't be turning back.

"BZ…BZZZ…BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTT!"

Vespiquen's murderous vow for vengeance could be heard for miles around. There would be blood, droves of it! That human and all he held dear would pay for the shame she suffered at his hands! His lifeblood would feed her growing brood and then the entire _world _would face her unholy wrath!

But first, she would need to escape the honey.

…

"And, well…that's what happened."

Professor Juniper rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes and stifled a quick yawn. It was midday, and Will had contacted her via video phone at a reasonable hour when he arrived at the Striaton City Pokémon Center to give her a report on the Pokémon he had captured thus far as well as those he had not: namely, Lickitung and Vespiquen and his experiences with each.

Juniper's lethargy came not from laziness nor did it stem from a lack of interest. She greatly appreciated Will's progress report as it kept her up to date and showed payoff on her latest investment. And Aurea had just finished an all-nighter studying Will's first official capture, Boldore and require another sip from the researcher's Fountain of Youth, a.k.a more caffeine.

"Let's just recap quickly," said Juniper, urging for the anxious youth to stay his tongue just a bit so that her muddled mind could catch up, "You came across a Vespiquen which had trapped Purrloin. You intervened, came _this close _to getting Power Gem'd _again_, and not only made it out alive but did so whilst making off with Purrloin and entrapping a significantly superior Pokémon. And the only thing that kept you from becoming a stain on a tree in Route 2 was an unexpected Stun Spore from a yet unknown source. Did I get everything?"

Will nodded, biting his lip. "Please don't tell my mom…"

"Tell her what?" Juniper inquired with gusto, letting out a laugh. "You're on a Pokémon Journey, kiddo! These things happen! What, are you afraid she's gonna ground you or something?"

"I've just gotten into a lot of trouble in these past _two days_!" replied Will, shrugging. "I've almost died twice, _both times _by Power Gem and the Pokémon using it! And I got lucky both times! I just don't want my mom to worry."

Juniper smirked. "Because you feel free."

"What?"

"You heard me. Because you're free now." Smugly grinning at Will, Juniper crossed her arms and sent him a wink. "You felt trapped when you were back home with your family. You felt like you needed to stay with them, and you still do, though correct me if I'm wrong that you're just now feeling an itty-bitty urge to not want to go back."

He did not reply immediately, and instead looked shamefully at the ground and rubbed the goosebumps forming on his right arm. It almost felt selfish to admit but…he _didn't _want to go home now.

Juniper was right. For the first time in a long time, Will was unburdened. And he liked it.

"Anyway, your mom and your sister headed home this morning," continued Juniper, "If they miss the traffic, they should be back in Icirrus by tonight. Which reminds me…"

Will looked back up at the monitor as, on her end, Professor Juniper reached out of frame to grab something. He heard the shuffling of papers before she returned into the video broadcast clasping a large piece of paper in her hand.

"You might have noticed some commotion on your way in. Some traffic on the way into town?" asked Juniper.

"Yeah," replied Will, recalling a rather circumstantial concentration of moving vehicles and vans driving down the inner streets of the city. "A bunch of big cars were heading to the center of town. Looked like most of them were carrying things, too."

Juniper nodded. "Yes, in a few days, the Striaton Convention Center will be hosting the 44th Annual World Science Convention. Researchers and inventors from all corners of the world will be attending to show off their newest inventions and discoveries and whatnot." She waved her hand in a dismissive, if not overly scornful gesture. "Mostly it's just a bunch of sweaty guys in lab coats talking about how their take on String Theory is better than the take on String Theory of the sweaty guy in the lab coat across the aisle, or how their machine can turn Lillipup slobber into lemonade or whatever."

"What?" interjected Will, balking.

"39th WSC, in Mauville City. Don't ask. Anyway, my point. You don't have any plans tonight, do you?"

Will shrugged. "Not really, no." He had planned on asking around about the local Gym to get any tips that might give him an edge in the bout for his first badge, and then maybe get some training going for the rest of the day before he called it a night. He had no real plans to stay in Striaton City for any longer than it would take to beat the Gym Leader, and he wanted to do that ASAP at that.

"Good!" said Juniper, smiling at her newest conscript, "I'll assume that translates to 'Of course I'd like to help the gorgeous and intelligent Aurea Juniper on whatever she asks of me, her assistant!' You're so cooperative!"

"Why don't you just send me a script, Professor. _I_ clearly don't know how to speak for myself," Will quipped sarcastically, smirking at his boss.

Juniper laughed at her assistant's remark. "Don't worry, Will. You'll get used to me eventually." Smiling, she flipped around the paper to reveal that it was a photo, a headshot of a woman taken by a professional photographer. From what Will could tell given by the frame, she was a slender young lady probably about Juniper's age if not a year or two younger. Her long dark blue hair hung freely down her back, with a purple flower pin keeping it neatly above her brows. Her hands were cupped together in elation and she smiled at the camera as if it had just asked her to marry it.

"This is a colleague and close friend of mine," said Juniper, "More like a sister, really. Her name is Mako Fennel. She's an oneirologist who lives in Striaton City."

Now that was a word that Will had never heard before. "Ona-whatnow?" he asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Oh-near-ologist. She studies dreams and brainwave activity in people and Pokémon," answered Juniper, placing the photo face down on her desk and smoothing her hands over it. "I personally cannot attend this year's convention, but she can and is very much excited to be. Apparently, Fennel just made a major breakthrough in whatever she was working on and wants to show it off at the con."

Will crossed his arms. He would not be one to say no to the woman who sent him off on his grand adventure, but was prepared to draw a line. Sarcastically, he said, "Professor, I've seen my fair share of sci-fi movies. I am _not _hooking my brain up to one of her machines no matter how much _you _beg or _she _pays."

"No, no, you won't have to do anything of the like," Juniper answered quickly, "All you'll need to do is help her move some things from her apartment to the convention center, which is only about a block away."

"Why can't she hire someone professionally?" asked Will, not trying to shirk the request. He was not opposed to manual labor and was dually so not opposed to helping a friend of Junipers. But a professional team of movers could not only transport Doctor Fennel's good faster than he, but also with more finesse.

Juniper's response was a nervous sweatdropping of her own, leading William to believe that there was not only a complication, but a rather personal one. "Fennel will…explain that to you later. Suffice it to say that contacting movers is not…_preferable _for Fennel."

"Fair enough," responded Will neutrally.

"Great! I'll send the address to your Xtransceiver!" Juniper quickly scrawled a reminder to herself on a notepad she had handy to send Will the information when she had her own Xtransceiver on hand. Minccino often mistook it for trash when dusting off Aurea's bureau into the nearby wastebasket…along with most of her other personal affects. "Oh, one more thing!" Juniper put the pencil down and looked back up at Will. "You've sent Boldore, Patrat, Pidove and Lillipup to remain with me at the lab. Do you plan to do the same with Purrloin?"

This was an issue that had been on Will's mind for some time since even before he started his Journey. He could carry around as many Pokémon as he fancied while traveling the world, but as a Pokémon Trainer was limited to a maximum of six in uniform battles. It wouldn't make sense to just stuff every Pokèball he filled into his bag and continue on. Sure, it would give him much more versatility, but it would weigh him down not only with the Pokèballs themselves but also with the amount of extra supplies he'd need to bring to sustain the surely ludicrous amount of Pokémon he'd capture in Unova and abroad. Because most Trainers had realized this, it was almost tradition that the maximum amount of Pokémon a Trainer carried on his or her person met it's ceiling at the League allotted six.

"I want to keep Purrloin around for a while longer," answered Will, mechanically gazing towards the Pokémon Center counter at the mention of his newest Pokémon. All three of his Pokémon on hand, each wounded to a degree, was being checked out by the local Nurse Joy. "Maybe I'll keep him on my team, maybe not. Pokémon I catch for data will surely be happier at your lab, and, well…I don't need another disobedient Pokémon on my team right now."

Juniper nodded in chorus with his sentiment. He had told her of the strife Rocket was presenting him with. "You'll get through to Rocket, I promise. All Trainers go through this sort of thing at one point or another. All you need is a firm hand to guide him and he'll respect you in no time!" Juniper winked. "And you've saved Purrloin what, twice now? I'm sure the two of you will come to an understanding."

"I hope so," said Will, sharing her sentiment. To his sides he could notice that all of the other video phones were taken, and a glance over his shoulder told him that a line was forming to his rear. "I'll be off then, Professor. Send me that address and I'll head off to go help Doctor Fennel the second I get it."

"Thank you so much, Will. Keep up the good work!" Professor Juniper waved before reaching forward and cutting the connection from her end.

Just a few minutes after Will stepped out of the line and took to one of the soft seats of the Pokémon Center's lobby, his Xtransceiver began to buzz. Coincidentally, that was when a dainty _"ding!" _sounded from the intercom followed by the receptionist telling him that his Pokémon were fully healed and ready for pickup.

Will opened the text message as he made his way over to the counter. All that it contained was the address, 39 Trinity Street.

_Move some parts down the street to a convention center. How hard could it be?_

Will reached the counter and was presented with a tin tray not to unlike one you would bake muffins with. There were six holes on the tray's metal surface, three of which were occupied by Will's Pokèballs.

"Your Pokémon are healed up and as good as now!" chirped the pink-haired receptionist who Will knew as Nurse Joy, the poster girl for Pokémon Center's worldwide. The personality that was Nurse Joy gave Pokémon Centers a familiar and almost homelike feel to anyone visiting be it for a place to stay or routine hospital visits. The figure's origins traced back a mere three decades earlier to the worldwide conflict known as the Indigo Wars. While young women had always been prominent in nursing positions, both sides of the conflict desired to introduce more females into the medical field to supplement their primarily male fighting forces on and off the field. The result was Unova's creation of the Nurse Joy persona for young girls to rally behind and aspire to be like. Officer Jenny soon after was created with the intention of causing a similar boom in domestic defense and police fields. The strong, bright bluenette that everyone would come to know saw her first public appearance on wartime posters, flexing her arm above the words "Yes We Can!" As the years went on, these characters became something like a mascot for both institutions as the years went on, and it had became somewhat of a custom to have at least one member of each Pokemon Center and police chapter to take up the likeness.

And so the modern Nurse Joy was just that: a likeness. Those who were not of the pink-haired gene pool and worked as the face of a Pokémon Center often died their hair pink to carry on the tradition set by their predecessors, as well as keeping some sort of identifier to their non-Joy selves. From the nametag pinned to white nurse's apron, Will could determine that this one's name was Vanessa.

"Thank you," said Will, nodding his head gratefully as he took hold of the tray, "Anything I should know about?"

"Just the usual bumps and bruises. Nothing our Rejuvenator and a little medicine couldn't fix up," she replied.

Will gave one last nod of thanks and grabbed his Pokèballs from the tray, then stepped into an unoccupied space away from the counter and released his Pokémon. Cell was happy to be free of the confines of a ball as usual, and Rocket was just happy for happy's sake per the norm as well.

Purrloin, on the off hand, seemed disturbingly neutral. She had been so edgy and suffered much damage to her pride when entrapped by Vespiquen's honey. Will would have thought she'd be the least bit dismayed after being captured and all.

"Nice to see that you're holding up well," commented Will, "Not to say that I'm completely sure you've adjusted or you're just playing games with me again."

Purrloin shrugged her shoulders, than showed off her ability to stand on two legs by doing so to better enable herself to stretch away the cramped effects of the Pokèball.

"Praaaaaw…" she purred, lazily plopping back onto her rear and continuing to groom herself, heedless of Will.

"Then I guess you're cool with staying?"

Once again, Purrloin just shrugged. It honestly did not matter to her. The wild wasn't really treating her that well as of late, what with all of the new Pokémon coming onto the scene. Domesticated, most of them, or at least formerly so. Suffice it to say that many Pokémon that hadn't been kicking it in the wilderness like she had for a long time, if not ever, were coming back. And things were starting to get downright cramped.

Plus, Trainer's gave their Pokémon free food. All in all, a pretty sweet deal.

"Well okay then. I guess you're a part of the team now."

"Shawa!" cheered Rocket, happily waving his scalchop in the air.

Cell simply glared. He did not make a fuss, but that didn't automatically mean that he was okay with it. He had to stand by his Trainer's decisions…even the terrible ones.

Will couldn't help but smirk; catching a Pokémon was a wonderful feeling, but having it incorporated into the fold of your core team-your family-was just something else. "Well, if you're going to stay, you're gonna need a name. You're one of us now. Not just 'Purrloin'. Whaddya think fits your fancy?"

"Parrrrr," responded Purrloin, looking Will sassily in the eyes. The emerald ovals danced jovially, mocking Will's convictions.

"Right…" admitted Will, sheepishly biting his lower lip as he often did when awkwardness arose, "Honestly don't know what I was expecting there…" He concentrated in an effort to think of something meaningful to name his new friend. Something that defined her and meant something to him. Will thought back to when he was but a wee lad in Viridian City. One evening after school, his older sister had burst excitedly through the door cradling a stray Meowth in her arms and begging their parents to keep it before they even got a glimpse of what it was. Of course, at that point in tween years, Jackie had been going through the "vampire obsession" faze and was insistent on naming the feline-

"Noire!" Will snapped his fingers, pleased with the idea. "Yeah, Noire! It makes a whole lot more sense than when my sister wanted to name her cat. "It kinda describes you, you know? It works. Like, literally you're a dark color, but when I met you all of these times you-"

_"We get it," _Cell and the Purrloin almost named Noire chorused in their native Pokémon tongues. For a moment, both glared bizarrely at each other before stubbornly turning right away.

Purrloin let out an exasperated sigh, lying flat on her belly and stretching her paws. "Parrrrrr," she responded. _I suppose that will do…_

"Alright then. Noire it is!" Will was satisfied that the naming of his Purrloin had been so uncomplicated. Everything he had done thus far that had been intended to be a simple affair and almost turned into a complete mess. Nice it was that he could enjoy some simple luxuries. Of course, not for long.

A cheeky grin spread across Will's face, one that made Noire almost immediately begin to regret her election to join up. "Glad you're on board, Noire! For our first activity as a team, we will be moving heavy supplies for a stranger! Excited?"

"Mraww…" she groaned, flopping over on her side. It was going to be a loooooooooong journey…

But, at least there was free food.

* * *

**Will has survived his latest brush with death and recruited a new member to his team, Noire the Purrloin. This makes three Pokemon with two Pokeball slots filled. What Pokemon will he add to his team next? How will he fare against the Striaton City Gym Leader(s)? And what was the source of that mysterious Stun Spore that saved Will's life?**

**Stay tuned to find out! Next time, we'll finally introduce a character without which there would be no fic, one I'm sure some of you have been dying to meet. Coming up in ****_Chapter 13: S'il Vous Plait?_**

**Reader Question for the week: This isn't exactly super-new news, but two new Megas have been announced for ORAS: Mega Sableye and Mega Diancie. What Pokemon, Gen 3 or otherwise, do you think should get Megas in the new games? Answer after you review!**


	14. S'il Vous Plait?

**Chapter 13: S'il Vous Plait?**

* * *

**Striaton City, Apartment Complex**

* * *

Doctor Fennel's address was easy enough to find. What with his Xtransceiver's satellite locator it had been a snap. Street signs would have gotten him there…eventually. As Jaclyn Grey would be able to tell you after giving going through driving lessons with Will behind the wheel, her brother was not good at reading street signs.

Even the ones that said "Stop."

But that was beside the point. As stated before, locating the address on Trinity Street had been the easy part. Actually getting there in one piece proved to be more difficult.

Traffic around the center of town, where Fennel apparently lived, was very thick that day for reasons he had already found out. A convention was being put on, and not only that by this was the bustling epicenter of the city. Many restaurants, shopping centers and business made their homes nestled in the nucleus of Striaton City making it a bustling hub at all times.

Crossing the street had been an adventure in and of itself. Will had to wait through three red lights until he was eventually able to make his way across due to obnoxious drivers. If Striaton City's roads were this way, then he dreaded reaching Unova's capital of Castelia City.

But even that was only one roadblock to actually making it to the Gym, winning his badge and then leaving. Upon reaching the proscribed address of 39 Trinity Street, Will made the discover that Fennel's house was not actually a house, and instead:

"An apartment building," Will mumbled to himself, looking down at his wrist to double check the address. He then looked back up at the building and let out a disgruntled sigh, accepting it. "Well, moving her stuff to the convention center sure is gonna be a hoot," he said over his shoulder to Cell.

"Lo solo," replied Cell in a similar tone. Since he was a Psychic-Type and the only reliable member of Will's roster at that, he knew that translated to him doing most of the work.

Sharing the sentiment, Will headed forth simply for the sake of getting it over with. The building's automatic doors swung open and ushered him into a quaint little lobby area: nothing too lavish but comfortable and in the least.

Will walked up to the doorman sitting behind the front desk, engrossed in his crossword puzzle. A small tap of the counter's bell alerted him of Will's presence. He looked up at Will and said nothing; if the kid had come to him, he reasoned, he had something to say anyway. Best just let him say it.

"I'm looking for Mako Fennel's apartment," said Will, "I'm here to help her with some moving."

The man went back to his puzzle, no longer needing his guest to know he was paying attention. "Eighth floor, door forty-nine." Quickly after he finished talking, however, one eye flicked back up to Will with a faint sparkle of intrigue.

"You're not with that Nick character, are you? Couldn't come himself, could he?"

"Ah, erm…I don't know he Nick is," admitted Will, a tad confused.

"Yes, right. Forget I asked." The doorman looked back down at his puzzle and made himself busy again, effectively ending the conversation.

_Who is…know what? Don't know, don't care. _Whoever Nick was and his relationship with Fennel was none of Will's business, and he had no inclination of making it so. William and Cell made their way over to the elevator, called it to them with the press of a button, entered, pressed the silver button with the number eight carved on its surface, and were on their way.

Once the door to the elevator was closed and the rumble of the car moving upwards had faded, the doorman allowed himself a private smile.

"So she's single now…" he mumbled to himself, feeling giddy all of a sudden.

…

Will rapped his knuckles lightly on the polished mahogany surface of door forty-nine and waited patiently for a reply. Thankfully, unlike his experience at the crosswalk a half hour earlier, he did not need to wait long.

The shuffling of feet sounded from inside the apartment, as did a muffled crash followed by a muffled string of curse words. Will and Cell exchanged hesitant glances as the footsteps got closer and closer.

"Who is it?" demanded whomever had reached the door, be it Fennel or someone else. Will couldn't tell for sure, but he got the feeling that he was being stared at through the peephole.

"I'm here to help you with moving your equipment," answered Will, and then realizing he had skipped a step in introductions, prepared to say, "My name is-"

"Are you with Nick!?"

"Huh?" _Again with this Nick guy…_

"Um…no," Will meekly answered, "My name is William Grey. Professor Juniper sent me…"

There was a beat of silence, followed by a sudden click. Will flinched, jumping to the conclusion that Fennel had been priming a weapon of some kind. But after it followed a similar sound, and after that the sound of something metal grinding against another metal piece. Will recognized this as the sound of locks being undone.

"Hold on a moment. Just let me undo these locks…" she said, proceeding to unlatch a minimum of seven more locks. "This one always sticks…almost…got iiiiit-there!"

The final lock clicked and the door immediately swung open, revealing a woman who matched the photo Juniper had showed him to the absolute: Mako Fennel. Her hair, build, eyes, even her wardrobe was the same as what Will remembered.

Fennel pursed her lips, studying Will from head to toe. "Hm…I had hoped Aurea would have sent a bit more help…"

"Well, she only has so many field assistants," offered Will, sweatdropping, "And I'm not even sure any of the other two are in the city at the moment…"

"One of them is!" chirped Fennel, ushering Will and Cell inside her apartment and shutting the door behind them, then systematically latched up every single lock, "Cheren Komori. Or at least he _was _in the city. He got his Trio Badge and then left."

Will clenched his fist in anger. _Figures he'd be ahead of me! And I'm stuck doing busywork for Juniper…_

Shaking his head, Will hastily cleared away the negative thoughts. He was in no way inclined to think negatively of Juniper. This random favor was the least he could do to repay her kindness in setting him off on his Journey, and he had agreed on his own volition nonetheless.

Will took a quick sweeping look of Fennel's apartment. The furniture was very plain and most likely second hand, and sensibly so, since the couch nor any of the chairs looked like they had been sat in for months if not years. Instead, covering every single available surface in Fennel's living room were boxes and filing cabinets with very clear labels on just what kinds of things they contained: _Experiment 13-A, Important Discoveries (December 2013), Nick's Belongings (Do Be Thrown Out)._

"You certainly have a lot of boxes," commented Will.

"Beats having my papers thrown all willy-nilly across my apartment, doesn't it?" retorted Fennel as she finished up the last lock on her door.

"Wait," said Will, pondering what she had said, "You said papers."

"Yup."

"So in all of these boxes…are just papers?"

Fennel's head bobbed up and down excitedly like a child sharing a precious secret with an adult. Will knew from being the son of _two _scientists that members of the career field kept plenty of physical documents, but Fennel's stacks upon stacks of boxes contained enough paper to sink a cruise ship!

Amidst Will's bewilderment, Fennel tapped his shoulder and lead him down the short hall towards another room. "Come, come. We've got work to do, have we not?"

"Sorry, I'm just…still a little confused on the whole 'papers' thing," admitted Will as he tagged along, "Why do you keep so many physical records?"

Fennel shrugged. "Don't trust computers. Science is a cutthroat business, Will. You morally can't comprehend what some people would do to have their names become synonymous with the next big invention. How do you think Einstein felt when Tesla beat him at his own game and gave us electricity as we know it today?"

"I'll bet he was shocked," replied Will with a grin. Behind him, Cell moaned and rolled his eyes.

"Quite," said Fennel, the pun soaring right over her head, "I know of quite a few minds duller than my own who'd like to get their grubby paws on the spoils of my research instead of doing their own. Therefore, I keep most of my documents and records on paper since, unlike a computer, you cannot hack paper."

Rage flashed across Fennel's face, causing her glasses to quiver on the bridge of her nose and nearly fall off of her face. "But I'm sure _Xien_ is working on a way…"

"Who?" asked Will.

"Never mind," chimed Fennel, returning to normal in the blink of an eye. The twosome plus Cell reached the end of the hallway and stood before a small wooden lock. This one too proved to be locked, as Fennel pulled a key from her lab coat's pocket and turned it in the silver keyhole. She stepped inside ahead of Will and flicked on the light.

"Welcome to my workshop!" she announced proudly, gesturing with both of her arms to the utopia around her. "This is where all the magic happens!"

Will whistled. The place truly was impressive. Blueprints covered all four walls like posters and the several small worktables like placemats, covered in tinker tools and other scientific accessories. Despite Fennel's adversity towards computers, three monitors took up their own table. A rusty metal sink in one of the corners was hugged by a table covered in beakers and Bunsen burners.

"Nice place," he admitted.

"Yup!" said Fennel, sighing, "It's my own little corner of heaven…"

Will clapped his hands together. "So, what'll I be transporting?"

"Ah, down to business! I can see now why Aurea picked you!" Fennel led him further into the room where he could get a look at one of the corners he previously had been unable to see standing in the doorway. Stacked in it were approximately six medium sized boxes.

"That's not so bad," remarked Will, mentally sizing up the packages and their contents. More accurately, their weights. "Cell could probably carry this all by himself!"

"Solo!"

"But I'm not going to actually_ make him_," finished Will, looking jovially at his partner, "You never let me finish."

"Lo so…" Cell swiveled away from Will, wishing he had a cold shoulder to give him. Sometimes, the human's jokes just went a bit too far.

Fennel giggled. "You're lucky, you know. All of my heavier machinery was brought to the convention center far ahead of time. Before…" Fennel growled at the floor and balled up her fists.

"I've actually been meaning to ask you," said Will, turning to the older woman, "Why didn't you just hire a moving van to take this stuff for you."

Silent for another moment, Fennel shivered like a beaker ready to burst, fists still clenched. Out of nowhere, she blurted out, "Because of Nick!"

_Seriously, who the heck is Nick!? _Thought Will, tensing up for a moment. He decided to wait no longer and outright asked her. A bit less vehemently. And without the profanity he had used in his inner thoughts.

"Um, Miss Fennel, uh…would you mind telling me who this 'Nick' person is?"

Fennel let out a long sigh. A very long sigh, mind you. Her fists unclenched and relaxed as she calmed a great degree.

"Nick is my ex-boyfriend," explained Fennel, one of her hands clutching at her temple as if mentioning Nick's name brought on painful memories of the literal degree. "Coincidentally, he and his father co-own a moving company. After our fallout, I just couldn't work up the courage to actually request his company do business with me…"

"What happened between you two?" pried Will, immediately taking it back. "Erm, ah ,sorry to pry, I-"

Fennel dismissed this with a wave of her hand. "No, no, you came to do what he would have done had we still been together. Nick and I had been together for about two months. According to him, I was, ah…moving faster than he was comfortable with."

"How so?"

"I asked him to marry me."

"W-what!?" stammered Will. "I mean, I'm not saying that the woman can't do that part, but-"

"No, no. I know what you mean." Fennel sighed, slapping her hands onto her knees. "Arceus above, I'm twenty five! I should have been married four years ago!"

_That's not what I meant either…_ thought Will. The conversation was getting weirder by the second and he wasn't doing himself any favors by prodding Fennel to become more and more engrossed in the gritty details.

Still, against his better judgment he spoke up once again. Curiosity killed the Delcatty, or so they said.

"Wait, why would you want to get married to someone so early in life," he asked, placing his hands in his jacket pockets, "Wouldn't you want to play the field for a while? Find a good match for your partner for life?"

"I'm very meticulous, William. I very seldom procrastinate: frankly, I'm not very good at it! I have to get things done at the new opportunities arrive! I can't be stuck spending too much time on one thing when opportunity knocks, can I?" Fennel pushed her glasses further up her nose, grinning proudly. "I have very important work to do! Theses to develop! Hypotheses to test! Dating extensively would only waste time. I'd prefer to find my spouse quickly so I can get it out of the way and move on. You wouldn't want me to end up like Aurea, would you?"

Will cocked an eyebrow. "What does that mean?" He found Professor Juniper to be a very pleasant and sociable person, as a matter of fact.

"Bah, don't let her fool you! Aurea's a romantic. She wants to be swept off her feet by the perfect Prince Charming." Fennel snickered and leaned into Will's ear. "Don't tell her I told you this, but she tries out those hokey dating websites from time to time."

"Really? I-" Will growled and shook his head. "Forget about all of that stuff. _I'm _here to move _these _boxes and that's that! Forget Professor Juniper, forget the marriage thing and _forget about Nick! _So where am I going with these boxes?"

"So solo los," muttered Cell, his Trainer's bravado wasted on him. Will definitely would move some boxes, he knew. Keyword: some.

When it all came down to it, everyone always left it to the Psychic-Type to do the heavy lifting. Those who say "brain over brawn" never seem to take into account that brawn, after being cancelled out by brain, carried over its responsibilities.

* * *

**Striation City, Convention Center**

* * *

"And…there!" huffed Will, dropping two more of the boxes next to the others on the white foldout table. He wiped several beads of sweat from his forehead. "That's all of them, Miss Fennel. Need anything else?"

Will silently prayed to Arceus and Dialga and Palkia and every other ethereal being in the universe that he was done helping Fennel. He and Cell had only needed to make one return trip to Fennel's apartment to retrieve the boxes they could not carry on the first short trip to the convention Center. But after carrying around five of Fennel's cardboard boxes himself, Will's first guess on their contents would have been concrete blocks.

Fennel tapped her chin, trying to remember. "No…not that I can think of. I believe you've gotten everything."

"So los…" muttered Cell, weary from the strain of levitating the heavy boxes. _Everything? We've carried everything but the kitchen sink…_

Will straightened up, trying to appear dignified. "Well, if that's everything, I'll be on my-"

"Mako Fennel," hissed a high pitched voice from behind Will and Cell, "I'm very surprised to see you here. I had hypothesized that after your less than satisfactory demonstration at last year's convention that you wouldn't be found within a parsec of this place."

"Darra Xien," growled Fennel, her expression becoming even sourer than when she had mentioned Nick. "I'm surprised as well. Didn't know you'd be tall enough to ride this ride."

Turning around, Will's eyes met the source of the voice, Darra Xien. She was a stout little woman with porcelain skin even paler then Fennel's and hair as black as pitch. Fennel's quips about her height were not misused: Xien's highest point only came up to Will's chest and lower still compared to Fennel's body. Like her adversary she wore a white lab coat and manila colored shoes. Her most drawing feature however was her heterochromic eyes. One was a dull greyish blue and the other was an inspired shade of brown.

"And this would be…" asked Will, swiveling his head towards Fennel.

"_Doctor _Darra Xien," answered Fennel, "My rival from all the way back in college. We majored in the same field and hated each other from the first day of class." Fennel ground her teeth together. "I don't know if she even had any _interest _in some of my classes that she enrolled herself in. Pretty sure she just wanted to mess with me…"

Xien giggled and batted her mismatched eyes at Fennel. "It's been a while since we last met, Mako. You seem to have increased in mass since our last encounter."

"On the contrary for yourself, Darra," Fennel said coolly despite the blatant (albeit eloquent) comment on her appearance. "Your posterior seems to have met the opposite effect. I can only _faintly _feel its gravitational pull from this distance."

"Oooh, _scathing_." Xien tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder. "It seems you'll have to fight it then when you're making your retreat from this convention, Mako dear. I intend to put your invention so much to shame tomorrow that you'll have to skip town!"

Fennel scowled and crossed her arms. "I'll be staying right here. Getting out will be rather difficult, what with the press and our colleagues eagerly swarming me after I unveil _my _invention tomorrow."

"And what did you bring this year? A potato clock?" asked Xien.

"Nope," Fennel replied, "I knew you were allergic to starch and I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

As Xien opened her mouth to spit out another witty response, Will made his move. "I can see you two have plenty of issues to work out," he said, slowly beginning to back away, "And have reached the conclusion that none of them will actually _be _resolved today. So I'm just gonna go…if that's alright…"

"So, losis," interrupted Cell, nudging Will's chest. _Oh, trust me, it's okay. Let's just go…_

"That's fine, Will," said Fennel, her icy glare not moving away from Xien, "Thank you for your help. We'll be in touch."

_Oh boy, _he thought before promptly turning on his heels and moving at a brisk pace towards the exit.

Or at least in the direction that he thought it would be. Had it not been hosting an event, the convention center's main floor would have just been an enormous open room. But showers and presenters and the like had transformed it into a setting not too unlike a science fair with cubicle-like spaces sectioned off for each presenter to have their own space.

From Fennel's excited chatter (which had been provided as she so graciously accompanied Will while he moved her equipment, not helping) Will had heard that several prominent voices in the scientific were attending to give lectures and orations on new subjects they were covering. So amateurs would not be the only bodies at the convention, so it seemed.

That was all well and good to Will, but he still had no intention of staying. No Bill Nye, no deal.

Will felt a sharp pang of hunger from his stomach accompanied soon after by a raucous growl. It was a rather embarrassing sound to admit while in public, and Cell snickered at this.

"Yeah, laugh it up. _You _don't even have a stomach," retorted Will, checking his Xtransceiver. It was nearly six thirty. Had he been at home, he and his family would most likely be sitting down to eat dinner. Food didn't sound like such a bad idea, in fact.

"Come on," he said, ducking behind two men transporting a large crate and finally coming into sight of the door, "Let's go grab something to eat. Then we'll see what we can find out about the local Gym."

…

By nature, William Grey was no aficionado on fancy food. As long as it filled his belly and didn't make him want to regurgitate it, food was food. The only telling difference between cuisines to him was the cost. And Will was in no way inclined to needlessly squander funds on artfully prepared dinners.

And so he had selected the food court at a nearby shopping center. Will had been told that Striaton City sported Unova's best and most exquisite dining options barring only Castelia City. But none of that mattered to Will. He wanted food, and he wanted it cheap and he wanted it now.

Will plopped down at an empty table, simultaneously shifting his bag from his shoulder and onto the table whilst plucking the Pokèballs of Rocket and Noire from his belt. He released the two Pokémon onto the table, seeing as many other Trainers around him had done the same and the establishment was alright with it.

"Time to eat, all," announced Will, digging into his bag for the Pokémon food. "Cell earned his dinner tonight, yet I'm feeding _you two _against my better judgment. "Will sneered at Rocket and Noire, the former of which sheepishly smiled at his Trainer as the latter closed her eyes and groomed herself. "Rocket, I understand that you're small and can't carry a lot, but I asked you to just carry a wrench for Fennel. _A wrench! _And what did you do with it?"

Rocket shrugged, prompting Will to roll his eyes. He had wanted Rocket to feel like he was helping when he and Cell were moving Fennel's equipment to the convention center. Presenting the Sea Otter Pokémon with a measly wrench, Will had assumed he could accomplish a simple task while feeling satisfied and causing no incidents.

Not so. Rocket's initial confusion towards the purpose of the strange tool he was being handed prompted Fennel to inform him that it was for "fixing things."

He then proceeded to throw it, with gusto, through a mildly cracked window at the end of Fennel's hallway. Fennel insisted Will let her pay for the window, though he reimbursed her for the wrench.

"And _you_!" he said, casting an accusing glare on Noire, "You didn't even help! Don't pretend that you can't stand on two legs, Noire, because I know you can! You totally could have helped carry something!"

Noire continued to preen her fur, opening an amber eye and winking it at her Trainer. To her enjoyment, this only aggravated him more.

_These Pokémon are going to be the death of me,_ Will thought as he popped the lid off of two cans of Pokémon food and presented them to Noire and Rocket. Rocket, who was only a few inches taller than the can itself, began happily shoveling the brown pellets into his mouth. Curling her tail around hers, Noire tipped the can over onto the table, creating a convenient dining option for her now and a mess for her Trainer to clean up later.

In response, Will selected her pile to deduct from, snatching away a few of the pellets for Cell's dinner. Noire hissed in response to the loss of several precious pellets. Presented with a unique opportunity, Will did his best to mimic the wink she had given him moments ago before turning to Cell.

"Here you go, buddy." Will tossed one of the pellets at Cell. The Pokémon food entered the syrupy mixture that was Cell's outer shell and began to dissolve like an aspirin in water. Cell closed his eyes and smiled as the delicious nutrients were absorbed into him. Since he survived partly on radiation from the sun and was able to extract all nutrients from the food he ate, Cell required marginally less food than Rocket or Noire.

Will plucked two more of the pellets from his hand and flicked them at Cell. Just as he was about to stand and procure his own dinner, a familiar voice chirped to him from behind.

"Hi Wiiiiill~!"

He didn't even need to turn to figure out who it was. "Hi Bian-agh!"

"Ohit'ssogoodtoseeyouit'sbeensolonghowareyoudoingwowisn'titacoincidenceIfoundyouheeeeere!?" Bianca cried as she wrapped Will in a bone crushing hug, nearly knocking him to the floor.

"It's good…to see you too…Bianca…" choked Will.

Bianca released him and held her hands in his, rocking excitedly back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I just found something great, Will! You need to come with me right now to see it! C'mon!"

Jolting suddenly to the left, Bianca nearly tore Will's arm right out of its socket. With his feet still firmly on the ground, Bianca's sudden tug only resulted in Will stumbling and her falling flat on the floor. Her barrette flopped off of her head and onto the ground like an uncooked soufflé.

"Bianca, my Pokémon and I are eating dinner! I can't just run off to…wherever you want me to go," protested Will.

Bianca grabbed her barrette and slapped it back on her head, crossing her arms with cheeks puffed out in childish dismay. "Hmph, fine! But you gotta promise that you'll come with me after dinner."

"Fine, yeah, I promise," said Will, holding up his hands in surrender.

There was an awkward silence between the two for a moment, Bianca still sitting on the ground and Will looking down at her. Will sighed.

"I'll let you have some of my fries."

"Yay!"

…

"Alright Bianca, where are we going?" asked Will as he was unceremoniously dragged along by his blond companion.

"You'll see in a minute!" Bianca assured him, not deterred in the slightest.

After his meal (which Bianca had graciously helped herself to) Will kept good on his promise and allowed himself to be kidnapped to partake in Bianca's life changing adventure. She had dragged him out of the food court, up an escalator and into an open shopping area sporting multiple kiosks consisting of square glass display cases sheltering a wide assortment of items Trainers could buy from the sales associates standing in and around. Will would have liked to take a look at said items, but one would have also found such a feat difficult when being dragged along by Bianca at twenty miles per hour.

"And heeeeere we are~!" chirped Bianca, turning a sharp corner and coming to a sudden stop. At that moment she released Will's arm, sending him tottering into the nearby wall.

"Ack!" Bianca, what the heck!?" Will stumbled back and rubbed his arm. "And what are we even here for?" With Bianca, one would really have to get a good grasp of the concept that anything was possible. Will had fully expected to be lead to some claw machine containing a cheap plushie Bianca wanted to win.

Bianca squealed with excitement, physically shaking. "We're gonna see the connoisseur!"

"The what-now?" asked Will, scratching his head in confusion. "Aren't those the guys who taste wine?" Will let his hand drop down to his side as another thought crossed his mind. "And as a follow-up question: aren't we a little too young for that?"

"No, silly! This kind of connoisseur tells you things about your Pokémon! Like how compatible you are, things that would make them stronger or happier, and what other kinds of Pokémon would be good for you!" Bianca removed two Pokèballs from her bag and hugged them to her chest. "I can't wait to hear what he has to say about Tepig and Lillipup!"

"That doesn't sound so bad, now that you mention it," concurred Will, peeking down at the three Pokèballs clipped to his own belt. Cell currently occupied his own due to his preference of relaxing after a meal.

But a little advice on how he could better interact with his Pokémon (Rocket and Noire, more specifically) would be more than welcome in Will's book. Heck, if the Pokèball could tell him things about Cell that he himself didn't even know, why couldn't a Pokémon expert.

After hearing her out, Will was more than contented to wait with Bianca to see the connoisseur.

And wait they did.

The line hadn't exactly been short in the first place. Trainers young and old had flocked to the shopping center to see the apparently renowned connoisseur. The wait was excruciating, and the line crept forward at a Macargo's pace.

_After all_, Will thought, _People are having their entire teams critiqued. It's not like I'm waiting in line for a roller coaster here…_

Fifteen minutes crept by. Then fifteen more. And half an hour after that. Will was just about ready to burst with boredom once the hour and a half mark inched by. Bianca, on the other hand, didn't seem at all deterred with her mind set.

"Bianca, we've been waiting forever," he protested, checking the time for the hundred and fifty first time, "Are you sure this is worth it?"

"_Of course _it is!" said Bianca, "I wanna meet this connoisseur! No matter _how long _I have to wait!"

"_Au contraire, mademoiselle_," beckoned an unfamiliar voice nearby, "Why stand in that line when you can just skip the wait and see me instead?"

Both Bianca and Will turned suddenly to the owner of the voice, only to find a hand gesturing to them from behind a cinnabar colored curtain, much like the one covering the entrance in which sat the connoisseur.

Bianca gasped, excited. "Really?"

"But of course," guaranteed the silky voice, "Wait in this line and you'll only be rewarded with sour discord. My opinion, on the other hand, would be a much sweeter option."

"Sounds good to me!" Bianca immediately shot out of line and into the curtained-off room, leaving behind a stunned Will.

"Bianca, wait!" he cried, sweatdropping. _Why would she just charge into a secluded just because some stranger _asked _her to? More importantly: why am I even asking myself these questions anymore?_

Shaking his head, Will stepped out of line in pursuit of Bianca. It wouldn't do for her to get mugged only to have him step out of line anyway. Then _Will _would have to deal with it…

Will brushed aside the curtain and found himself in a shabby little nook barely big enough for himself and the other two people inside of it. Most likely, it had once been a changing room for customers to try on clothes.

Two benches were all that the nook contained. On one sat the giddy Bianca, and on the other was the mysterious other.

She was a girl, about Will and Bianca's age if he had to guess. As far as outfits went, she was dressed for success. She wore a pair of black slacks complimented by a pair of black dress shoes. Her body was hugged by a stylish red vest with gold fastened buttons, which was worn over a light purple colored shirt. She accessorized with two red armbands located on each of her upper arms and a bowtie of the same color.

Most unique (or bizarre, whichever way you diced it) were her hair and eyes, both a dark lilac color. Will wouldn't be so quick as to dismiss her irises and curly hair as artificially died, for he knew of people who had been born with hair of such sheens as blue and even green, but that did not discount the existence and possible usage of colored contact lenses and hair dye for expressive or aesthetic reasons.

The girl crossed one leg over the other and folded her hands, holding herself in an overall dignified manner. She grinned haughtily at Will and Burgundy.

"Sit, sit, _s'il vous plait_," she urged, waving her hands in a downward motion, "It wouldn't do for my adoring customers to be stuck standing while I evaluate their Pokémon, now would it?"

"Yeah. 'Adoring,'" muttered Will as he begrudgingly took a seat next to Bianca.

"Are you a connoisseur too?" she asked, anxiously grabbing fistfuls of her skirt as if finally getting to sit in with a connoisseur were too good to be true.

"_Oui et non_, my friend. Gentlemen of the trade bear that title. I, a lady, am called a connaiseusse." She executed a short bow from the sitting position. "I am a connaiseusse of great prestige and merit! Burgundy Cabernette, at your service!"

Admittedly a smidgeon grumpy at the current moment, Will fixed Burgundy with a sour look. "Well, if you're so famous, how come I haven't heard of you?"

Burgundy immediately tensed as if Will had struck a vital nerve, several beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. "Ah, _vous voyez_, you probably haven't heard of me. Rest assured, I am very well known in my homeland of Kalos." She tried desperately to change the subject. "Now, you've come to have me critique your Pokémon, _n'avez-vous pas_? Let me have a look!"

"Go ahead, Bianca," said Will, leaning back slowly, "You can go first."

"Yippie!" Bianca pulled out her first Pokèball and flicked it into the air. "Lillipup, come on out!"

"Arf arf!" yipped the Puppy Pokémon, immediately beginning to chase her tale.

Burgundy's eyes sparkled at the sight of Bianca's first Pokémon and she hopped up onto her toes. "Ah, a Lillipup! The first Pokémon you've selected for evaluation. Well then, stand back!" She executed a showy little spin and finished by pointing down at Lillipup and winking. "_Alors_, it's evaluating time, _s'il vous plait_!"

_What the what… _was Will's only cohesive thought.

Without warning, Burgundy dropped down on one knee and began to inspect Lillipup, Bianca observing happily from her seat. At first, Burgundy simply watched as Lillipup ran excitedly in circles. She then reached out and grabbed her, planting a hand firmly on her furry back. Lillipup was turned unceremoniously around to directly face Burgundy, who inspected her eyes with great intrigue before finally tugging upwards on Lillipup's mouth to get a look at her teeth.

She sat back, contented. "Evaluation complete. This Lillipup is no good for you."

"What!?' shrieked Bianca.

Burgundy nodded. "_Oui_, you heard me. This Lillipup is not the right one for you." Not even gracing Lillipup with a look, Burgundy gestured to the now demoralized canine. "Your Lillipup has far too much energy for one with the Pickup ability. You'd be better suited with a Lillipup bearing the ability Vital Spirit."

Sniffling, Bianca scooped Lillipup up in her arms. "H-how could you say that? Lillipup and I get along great!"

"Yes, but that doesn't matter in the end, you see." Burgundy shrugged. "Your Lillipup simply does not match you as a Trainer. My advice is to find another."

"And why should we listen to your advice?" snapped Will.

"Oh?" said Burgundy, cocking an eyebrow at him. "And do you have something to say?"

Oh, did he, but he didn't know how to say it. Burgundy's opinion was a crock of nonsense and not only did he not believe it, he was outraged by it. A person with the knowledge to and in the position to evaluate a Trainer's position with their Pokémon should never settle for such mediocre and disgraceful behavior.

But Will had a better idea than to rant at Burgundy. Instinctively he reached for his belt, clasping all three of the Pokèballs on it. At once he let his Pokémon out onto the floor.

"Go ahead," he openly invited, "Critique my team. My _entire _team."

"_Le nerf_!" shouted Burgundy, jabbing a finger in Will's face, "Simpleton! I am a connaiseusse! My evaluations are works of art in their own right! You can't just demand that they happen!"

"Funny," said Will, "You seemed all too eager to demean Bianca and her Pokémon. I start calling you out and all of a sudden you don't want to face the music." Will scoffed. "Figures. I should have waited in line for the _real _connoisseur."

Burgundy's face turned redder than her vest as she stomped towards Will, shoulders set and fists clenched. "You listen here, _crétin_," she spat, jabbing a finger into his chest, "I'll evaluate your team and then then I'll _prove _that you stepped way out of line talking to me like that!" Burgundy turned on her heels and marched back over to where she had evaluated Lillipup, her hair whipping Will's face as she did.

Kneeling back down, Burgundy got to work. First she examined Noire, who was actually sitting up and paying attention to what was going on around her. Will yelling at an uppity purple-haired connaiseusse was the most interesting thing that had happened to her since being captured.

Burgundy brushed the fur on her back first before moving onto her ears, which she gave a slight tug. She did the same to Noire's whiskers, which began to irritate the Purrloin. She gave the human her comeuppance when Burgundy lifted one of Noire's paws to examine the claws. As Burgundy pressed down on the soft pads of the paw, Noire quickly extended and retracted her claws, pricking Burgundy's finger.

"Eep!" Burgundy shoved the bleeding finger in her mouth and glare at Noire, who treated the human with her famous look of contempt. She moved on to the next in the lineup, Cell.

After seeing the treatment Noire had received, the Solosis wasn't particularly looking forward to Burgundy's "evaluation." He swiveled around to exchange looks with his Trainer.

_Just go with it_, Will urged with a slight roll of his head.

Cell's evaluation was much shorter. Placing a hand on either side of Cell's outer gel layer and pressed inwards. She then prodded a finger inside of the semipermeable membrane, plucked it out and then disgustingly enough, stuck the finger into her mouth and judged the taste.

And finally, as Burgundy probably would have said, the _piece de resistance_. A sadistic grin spread across Will's face as Burgundy's evaluation brought her finally to Rocket. The wild card.

Rocket was pleased as punch to be able to serve his Trainer and make up for the wrench incident earlier that day. He stood perfectly still as Burgundy reached around him and squeezed his tail. He flinched not when she pinched the tips of his ears and opened up his mouth to examine his teeth.

And then she took his scalchop.

"Osha wa!" cried Rocket as his most precious and valued possession was taken from him.

Burgundy rolled her eyes and turned the shell over in her hand. "_Détendez-vous_, killer. I'll give it back once I-BLLUUUUUBBB!"

A gusher of water punched right into Burgundy's face, filling her mouth, nose and eyes with water and knocking her back. Rocket's scalchop fell right out of her grasp and landed on her belly, which Rocket hopped up onto and irately retrieved as Burgundy lie coughing up water on her back.

Both Will and Bianca had burst out in uncontrollable laughter: Will from the anticipation, Bianca from the surprise and both from the humility.

"Stop…laughing at me!" choked Burgundy in between coughs, sitting up and examining herself, "Your little _diable _soaked my favorite outfit!"

"Is that your full evaluation of Rocket?" asked Will, still laughing.

_Oh, I'll give you my evaluation, alright..._Mumbling to herself in Kalosi, Burgundy tried the best she could to brush off the excess water as she stood, holding herself as dignified as possible.

"Your Purrloin reeks of old newspaper and emanates and overall bitter aura," she said, crossing her arms, "Plus, it's tail is bent all out of shape. Again, much like the aura thing, much like you. Even so, it's a horrible kind of Pokémon for _any _Trainer to have.

"Your Solosis doesn't respect you like your other Pokémon do. It's to course and rough and might even question your orders in battle because it feels equal, if not completely superior, to you.

"And finally, your Oshawott." A vein on Burgundy's temple twitched. "Oh, your Oshawott. If he were a dish, I'd send him back to the kitchen! He's like mystery stew: you don't know what you're going to get and odds are you won't like it. So there!" declared Burgundy, stomping her foot and glaring back at Will. "There's your evaluation, Mr. Hotshot. Satisfied, _n'êtes-vous pas_?"

Will took a quick look at his Pokémon. Noire, unsurprisingly, had lost interest and was licking herself. Cell looked about as angry as he and Rocket had ended up like Lillipup. Hugging his tail like a security blanket, he looked on the verge of tears.

"Let me tell you something." Will stood a hair's length away from Burgundy and utilized his height advantage to glower down at her (he was happy for the inches he had on her, for it would be hard for him to look intimidating in any other way without it). "Yeah, Noire doesn't always do what I say, but she's new. She's gotta warm up to me and I've got to warm up to her. And her tail is that way because of abuse at the hands of another Trainer, thanks for asking. I'm not so base that I'd pick a Pokémon based solely on looks.

"Cell is my best friend and first Pokémon. He was there for me when no one else was and you've got a match's chance on the moon of convincing me to get rid of him. We've been through thick and thin and, you know what? I'm _glad _he sees himself as an equal to me! That's the way it should be.

"And Rocket? Rocket has more spirit than I've ever seen in any Pokémon before we met! He'd jump off a bridge if I asked him to!" _Albeit while doing a Razor Shell, but that's beside the point. _Will got himself back on track, jabbing his own finger at Burgundy's chest. "You can take your opinions and you can shove them up your nose, Madame Fancy-pants, because nobody can tell a Trainer what's good for them except for them. And how dare you say that to me or Bianca or anyone else!"

Will could feel his face heating up as he finished, almost winded. Burgundy's jaw was agape. Her face had once again reddened and her eyes burned with a combination of rage and bewilderment. She tried to respond, but all that came out was a choking noise.

"C'mon, Bianca. Let's go." Will grabbed his friend by the arm and lead her out, Lillipup in her arms. His own Pokémon filed out behind him, giving Burgundy their own looks of contempt as they left. Rocket, the last one to leave, squirted some more water onto the floor and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Hope I never have to see _her _again," muttered Will as he shouldered his bag and headed for the nearest exit.

It took several moments for Burgundy to recompose herself. Even after receiving a mouthful of water from Rocket, her tongue become dry as a bone after her heated argument with Will. Burgundy wanted nothing more to follow behind him and make him take back every uncalled thing he had said to her, a dignified lady, and make him do it forcefully if possible.

But she was just that: a lady of poise and dignity. It wasn't well for one like her to lower herself to the dull-witted level of the likes of him, that good-for-nothing Wally or Wilbert or whatever. Burgundy unclenched her fists and let out a deep, releasing breath.

"_S'il vous plait_, next in line, pl-" Burgundy recoiled as a large man in a suit stepped into her booth, her tongue becoming bone dry once again.

"Hello Burgundy," greeted the man, in fact not too pleased to be there.

"H-hello Mr. Sato," said Burgundy as she greeted the mall's owner, managing a weak smile, "I-I don't suppose you'd like me t-to evaluate your Pokémon?"

Mr. Sato grinned. "Maybe. May I see your license, please?"

Burgundy reached into her pocket and pulled out a laminated identification card, not too unlike one that a Trainer would carry. Mr. Sato held it close to his eyes, mostly for show considering that what he was looking for on the card was very plain to see.

"You're still a C-Rank Connaiseusse, Burgundy," he commented, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

She gulped. "Ah, you know. Still paying my dues…"

"Apparently not." Mr. Sato handed her the card back. "An a C-Class Connaiseusse like yourself can only serve as an assistant to an A or S-Rank, and you know that, Burgundy."

"A-and we'll let this serve as my warning?"

Burgundy let Mr. Sato's unimpressed glare serve as her answer. "Come with me to my office, Burgundy. We're going to make a phone call."

Not putting up any sort of fight, Burgundy lowered her head in shame and followed Mr. Sato out of the booth.

_This is the second worst day of my life, _she lamented, knowing full well that her day wasn't about to get any better.

* * *

**Nuvema Town, Juniper Labs**

* * *

After a long and trying day of examining the new Pokémon sent to her by Will and Cheren, Professor Juniper was about ready to collapse. Writing reports and examining data were one thing. Tending to live Pokémon, studying their behaviors and trying to get them to cooperate? A whole other ballgame.

With an exhausted huff, Aurea plopped down in her office chair and nearly laid down to sleep on her desk. Aurea sat silently with her head in her hands for a moment, the only sounds being the faint noises of running machines and a distant argument between Mal and Val.

"Might as well check my emails…" she muttered, pulling her personal laptop out from under her desk and flipping it open. Aurea opened up an internet tab, navigated to the website hosting her email address and typed in her password. She scrolled through the dozen or so new emails, only skimming the titles of those that sparked interest and marking them to read later when she had the energy.

Amidst the ads, newsletters and annual reports, she found an alert from one of the dating websites that Fennel ridiculed her for bothering with. Aurea was a fulltime researcher and didn't see dating as something she could actively pursue, though she wanted to.

Oddly enough instead of just some of the usual nonsense, this particular email read that the service had found a suitable match for her. Those were rare.

Admittedly excited, Aurea opened the link and read the description of her proposed partner. Like her, he was a scientist, and a Pokémon researcher at that. He lived in Kalos, liked long walks on the beaches, dreamed of having kids one day, his favorite tree was the sycamore, looked for quarrelsome redheaded twins in assistants, preferred girls with names that rhymed with Shmorea Shmuniper…

Aurea sighed and rolled her eyes, clicking on the massage tab and rapidly typing in the message, "**YOU'RE NOT FUNNY, AUGUSTINE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"**

Moments later, she received a response. Quite simply, the message read,"**:P**"

Aurea let out a growl of frustration and snapped her laptop shut. She slammed her head down on its smooth blue surface and closed her eyes, where she fell asleep for the remainder of the night.

* * *

**Happy Independence Day to all of you who live in the United States! And happy belated Canada Day to our neighbors in the north!**

**Our two title characters have finally met and, wouldn't you know it, they hate each other's guts! And it looks like Fennel isn't the only one who likes to tease Juniper about her dating website XD**

**But how shall Will and Burgundy meet again? What shall Fennel and Xien unveil at the Science Convention, and who shall show up who? **

**Stay tuned for ****_Chapter 14: Will's First Gym Battle!_**

**In light of Burgundy, my favorite side character from the animethe Reader Question is: Who is your favorite side character introduced the anime? They could be a recurring character, someone who only appearance once, a rival of Ash or his companions, anyone besides Ash and his compadres.**

**Please leave a review, and I'll see you next week!**

**P.S. Check out ****_Dawn's Johto League Adventure _****by Reborn Dark Phoenix. It's a very enjoyable fic and you should give it a read :D **


	15. Will's First Gym Battle! VS Cilan!

**Chapter 14: Will's First Gym Battle! V.S Cilan!**

* * *

**Striation**** City, Main Street**

* * *

Food: that was all William Grey allowed himself to think about. After a day of letdowns, near-death experiences, menial labor, micromanaging and unnecessary criticisms from uppity purple-headed strangers, distracting himself with the promise of a warm meal was the only approach Will manage to think of in order to keep himself sane for another minute.

Will was unsure whether or not he had any sort of problems with his blood pressure, but if he did, the youngster suspected that he would be dangerously close to hurting himself if something else cropped up.

"Hey, where are you going?" chirped Bianca from behind, jogging to catch up with him once again. He had unconsciously left her behind several times since departing the mall. "Don't tell me _you're_ trying to leave me behind, too!"

He shook his head and forced himself to slow down a smidge. "No, sorry. I just…walk faster when I'm brooding…"

"Brooding?" asked Bianca, unsure with what the word meant.

"Yeah, brooding. It just means that I'm being mad."

"And why are you mad?"

"Because that Burgundy _mademoiselle_ pissed me off!" he exploded, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Several passersby stopped and gave him a look or two, but otherwise carried on with their business.

"You shouldn't let things that people say get to you," Bianca said meekly, tapping her fingertips together, "I mean, she said some mean things to me too, but I got over it."

Sighing, Will continued down the sidewalk. "Well Bianca, that's just because you're more virtuous than I am," he said testily, once again forgetting that Bianca was tagging along amidst his brooding. "I hear that admitting it is the first step to becoming a better person but frankly, I'm in no position, or _mood_, to do so. I guess I'm just a bad person!"

Will was getting very worked up, and it was actually beginning to worry Bianca a bit. Left behind, Bianca darted ahead of Will and planted her feet right in the ground. This time Will was stopped in his tracks, surprised.

"Well I don't think you're a bad person!" Before Will could respond, Bianca grabbed his face with one of her hands, smooshing his cheeks together so that he could not speak. Bianca stared right into Will's eyes and silently ordered him to shut up and listen. "Would a bad person risk his life for a Pokémon he didn't even know?"

Will shook his head. Bianca nodded and continued.

"Would a bad person treat their Pokémon as good as you do and work themselves have to death when one of them went missing?" Bianca didn't wait for a response that time. "No! You just have a little problem with your temper, that's all! Like my daddy! And you know what always calmed him down?"

"Couldn't guess," Will managed through his folded lips.

"Food! Now c'mon, I know a great restaurant nearby that I know you'll like~!" Bianca abruptly let go of Will's cheeks and just as abruptly grabbed him by the collar, pulling him along like a toddler would with their pet and giving him no opportunities to object.

**Four minutes later…**

"Ta-da!"

At long last, Bianca released her vicelike grip and let Will stagger free on his own two legs as she threw her arms dazzlingly above her head, gesturing at the restaurant.

"Hooray," choked Will, rubbing at his sore neck. In all honesty he was more thrilled about being released than he was arriving at the restaurant. Say what you would about Bianca, the girl had the strength of ten men! "Where exactly shall we be dining tonight?"

"Restaurant Three-Star!" announced Bianca, "Mommy, daddy and I always eat here when we come to Striaton City!"

As Bianca giggled around the entrance and reminisced about the good memories the place brought up, Will straightened up and got a better look at the place. The eatery was two stories tall and of Kalosi architecture, of that Will was fairly sure. Rubicund bricks made up most of the building, and a black tiled roof topped it off. Flower pots sporting a delicate array of foreign spring blossoms hung from every window. Will could hear the clinking of plates and silverware as well as plenty of dinner chatter from the inside.

And the smells! Will's nostrils were assaulted by the plethora of palatably pleasant perfumes wafting out from the food being served inside. Saliva dripped from Will's mouth and his stomach's voice made itself heard before his brain even could.

"Well…I guess it couldn't hurt to get some good food in me," reasoned Will, making his way towards the entrance, "But after we eat, I want to go find the Gym."

Snickering, Bianca tugged down on her beret and tried to hide her face from Will, drawing his suspicion. "Oh, trust me," she said mischievously, "I doubt it'll be much longer…"

…

"…until I get my revenge!" vowed Burgundy, stomping around the street corner feeling even more crossed than her arms currently were. Burgundy's eyes burned with hate and she tried to keep them trained on the ground. For her stare was so intense that if she looked someone in the eye, they would most likely catch fire.

Two strikes! Burgundy now had two strikes on her Connaiseusse License! One more and it would be revoked, forcing her to have to retake the entire course in order to be readmitted into the organization.

_And return home in shame…_

"H-heaven forbid they give me a third strike!" Burgundy plopped herself down on a bench to give herself time to calm down before walking down a busy street. "Because then I'll have to give them a piece of my mind! _Bouffons incompetents…_"

All of this strife was an unnecessary byproduct of bureaucratic incompetence! That's right, Burgundy couldn't do her job like any other self-respecting connaiseusse without pointless sub-politics interfering with her life.

The most recent mishap had only occurred because Mr. Sato was a greedy bigwig who was too afraid to just let the incident slide, for fear that the Connoisseur Association would revoke his mall's privileges of hosting connoisseurs. If he had just let Burgundy stay, than the cash flow would only have increased to his shoddy establishment.

And the first time! Burgundy could feel her teeth unconsciously begin to grind together. As a C-Class connaiseusse she had been apprenticed to an A-Class, a pompous braggart that had made her life a living nightmare. When he had irresponsibly left the establishment to pursue his selfish private agendas one day it had been _Burgundy_ who stepped up and covered for his absence.

So when the inspector had arrived unannounced to perform her own evaluation on the establishment and found Burgundy in charge instead of the A-Rank, the purple-headed young woman was flabbergasted to find herself betrayed by the very organization that she loved and given her first demerit.

Burgundy snorted. "It's almost funny," she seethed, reclining back in the bench, "My two worst days were _caused _by my two worst enemies…"

Yes, because of what he had caused, Burgundy now hated William Grey with a passion. It had been _he _who shamed her expert skills and then _he _who drew the attention of Mr. Sato, thus thrusting Burgundy into the current situation. Burgundy found it almost remarkable how in a matter of ten minutes a person could secure a spot right atop her hit list.

Directly under…_him…_

And so now, one would possess sufficient evidence to remain unsurprised when Burgundy nearly choked on her own saliva as she saw her most recently named nemesis unwittingly walking right into the lair of…of _him…_

The very first thought to cross Burgundy's mind was that if she were to burn down the restaurant now, that both of them would be consumed in the flames. Two Pidgey with one Stone Edge.

"_De l'autre côté_," Burgundy whispered to herself, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she watched Will and Bianca enter the restaurant, ignorant of her impending vengeance. "He's bound to be there for a battle…one way or another, it'll end with one of them being humiliated…"

Deciding the public humiliation of _one _of her enemies would be satisfying enough for one night, Burgundy stood up, took her time stretching, and then proceeded slowly to cross the street and enter Restaurant Three-Star.

* * *

**Striaton City, Restaurant Three-Star**

* * *

The very first thing Will did upon entering Restaurant Three-Star was inhale deeply through his nostrils. And that was not a decision he regretted.

If normal oxygen was made in two parts of two oxygen molecules, then Restaurant Three-Star air contained no less than three parts: two parts oxygen and one part delicious spice. The enchanting aromas of the place made the air seem pleasantly denser.

"I'll go see if they have any tables!" chirped Bianca, skipping over to the hostess standing behind a fine wooden desk.

"Good idea," said Will, "I'll wait right here."

The restaurant's waiting area was carpeted with a great red carpet emblazoned with the restaurant's logo: a silver fork and spoon crossed over a knife. Outside, the very same emblem had been represented in a three dimensional model hanging over the restaurant's door.

Overall, the atmosphere of the place was very comforting. Velvety red seats rimmed the foyer providing seats for those eagerly waiting their turn to eat. Soft piano music lazily drifted throughout the building from somewhere inside the restaurant.

The aforementioned velvet seats were completely filled; not an empty spot remained. "Gonna be hard getting in," mumbled Will, pacing around the large waiting area. He came to a stop at the wall, where menus and other information pertaining to the establishment were put on display.

Among several menus, framed newspaper articles and awards, Will's eyes were drawn to a series of small portable chalkboards hung on the wall. On their surfaces was the usual restaurant jargon: Chef's Choice, Soup of the Day, Catch of the Day.

And then came the last one. The one that utterly and completely perplexed Will.

**Gym Leader of the Day: Chili**

Will rubbed his eyes and checked the sign again. Surely he must have had something obscuring his vision. Brows furrowed, Will leaned in and scrutinized the sign more carefully. Surely enough, it was still telling him that to get his badge, he would have to face a spicy side dish.

Also, that the restaurant was in fact also the Striaton City Gym. Which came equally as a shocker. While Will had lived in Unova for a good five years and knew much about it, he had heard recently that leadership of the Striaton City Gym had changed hands, and he had been unsure of its fate.

And also now, of his.

"Do I…do I have to battle _chili_?" Will wondered aloud. Not to his surprise, it still sounded dumb when _he _was saying it. "Is my opponent a bowl of chili? Do I…do I have to eat the bowl of chili to get my badge? Does my badge just come with the check?"

"What's that?" Will turned around to find Bianca coming up behind him, smiling peppily as always. She giggled into her hand. "You talk to yourself! It's kinda funny."

"Yeah, well…you never told me that this was the Gym and I had to eat chili!"

Bianca's expression shifted to that of Will when he had been reading the sign. "I'm confused."

"Bianca, is this restaurant the Striaton City Gym?" asked Will, going through his questions one by one as to not confuse Bianca.

Bianca nodded before grabbing Will by the arm and tugging him away from the wall. "Yup! Now come on, you have to be come with me so we can get our seats!"

"Th-that still doesn't answer all of my questions!" objected Will as he was unceremoniously dragged along.

As a side note, Will would very soon realize that little to none of his questions would be answered at the exact moments when he sought answers for them, and he would be prompted then to complain about it less.

"Back again!" Bianca said to the snazzily dressed woman by the name of Chelsea (judging by her nametag) standing behind the counter, releasing Will's arm from her iron grip. She then folded her hands atop the counter and smiled pleasantly at the hostess. "This is my friend, Will. He's here for the Gym Battle!"

"Well, I _was_ here to eat," muttered Will, rubbing his arm, "But a Gym Battle would be nice too."

Chelsea smiled. "Yes, we get more than a few surprised customers, and Trainers, in Restaurant Three-Star. One of Restaurant Three-Star's most unique features is the ability to witness actual Gym Battles while you enjoy your food! Something that no other restaurant in the world offers."

"W-what about the chili?" Will asked out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" responded the hostess.

"Never mind. Proceed."

Nodding, Chelsea shifted her attention to her computer monitor, typing a few keys into the console and pausing for a second afterwards. "We're packed pretty solid tonight," she said, causing Will's hopes to drop, "But…we did have a reservation for a battle at seven 'o clock who canceled, so we can pencil you in there if you'd like."

"Sounds good to me!" chirped Bianca, hopping up on the balls of her feet.

"Alright then! I'll need your Trainer's License if you wish to battle, sir," said Chelsea, outstretching her right hand towards William.

Will complied and handed it to her. He felt completely pumped up not only to be enjoying some of Unova's premier cuisine on top of getting his first Gym Badge! Or at least getting to battle for it.

_I'll be fine_, Will reasoned, _Winging it worked against Cheren. Let's face it: I perform best when I think on my feet! My Pokémon are up for this challenge…whatever it is. I'm still unclear on the "chili" part…_

Chelsea scanned Will's license with an apparatus not too unlike a barcode scanner at a grocery store and handed it back to him. As she did, another thought crossed his mind…

"Bianca, aren't you going to challenge the Gym too?"

"I'm sorry," said Chelsea, pursing her lips, "We have a limit of one Gym Battle per table. She'll have to come back another time…"

As Will was beginning to object to him taking the battle, Bianca smiled and reassure him. "Don't worry about it, Will. I don't have any problems with coming back!"

"I can't decide if you're being polite or you just want to eat the food again," Will responded wryly. Bianca just giggled.

From behind the counter came a loud buzzing noise, prompting Chelsea to tap Bianca's shoulder. "If you two are ready, I can have someone show you to your table."

"That'd be great, thanks," said Will. A uniformed waiter with two menus tucked under his arm appeared in the foyer beckoning Will and Bianca in his direction. They followed, and he began to lead them to their table.

"Enjoy your meal!" called Chelsea from behind, "And enjoy your battle with Chili!"

"Seriously what is the deal with chili here!?" Will demanded over his shoulder as Bianca continued to drag him along.

"You'll find out soon enough," Chelsea said with a grin just as Bianca pulled him around a corner and into the restaurant's man area.

…

"Okay, they don't even _have_ chili on the menu! What the heck!" Will flipped through the leather bound menu with a purpose, searching for the illusive chili that he was apparently pit against. So far it was to no avail.

Disgruntled, Will slapped his menu back down on the table and folded his arms. His hand grabbed for the complementary pitcher of iced water that had been provided by the waiter and poured himself a small glass. In just one gulp he downed the whole thing, wetting his dry throat and helping clear his mind if just a little.

"If you don't want chili, silly, than just get something else!" suggested Bianca, her face obscured by the elongated menu. Whereas Will had decided that the only thing satisfying enough for his appetite would be a steaming bowl of answers, Bianca had yet to decide on her own entrée. "The Caesar Salad sounds good…ooh, it comes with soup!"

Will's face fell into his hands. "No, Bianca, I don't actually mean the _food _chili. At least…I don't think. I _hope_ not. I've never been a fan of spicy food anyhow…" The young man was at the end of his rope and could find nowhere else to turn. And so he decided to do something very, very desperate. "I'm gonna call Cheren," he announced, tapping his Xtransceiver, "Maybe he can tell me what's going on here…"

A loud slapping noise nearly startled William out of his seat. Bianca had slammed her menu flat onto the table's surface, her actions the result of a temper tantrum according to her expression. "Cheren's a no-good liarpants!" she declared, grabbing a breadstick and angrily shoving it into her mouth.

"Care to…elaborate?"

"He shed we'd travul togrethur," Bianca slurred between hearty bites of her breadstick, spraying tiny flecks of dough out of her mouth. With a might gulp she swallowed everything in her mouth and sighed. "Cheren got into town ahead of me and beat the Gym Leader. Then he left. I called him on my Xtransceiver to see where he was when I got into town, and he was already leaving! He didn't even wait for me!"

_Oh great, they both got here ahead of me…_Will deadpanned to himself, _Awesome…_

"Excuse me, sir? You here for a Gym Battle?"

A young man approached Will from across the restaurant, crossing the wide open space in between tables that he only assumed was reserved for battling. Dressed like a waiter (and he assumed that the guy was one) his most defining features were the red bowtie, flaming spikey red hair and his impatient gait. The guy looked like he simply _had _to keep moving else he stop and be propelled off into space by his own jittering.

And a thousand and one questions received their just answers as the waiter stopped at the table, giving Will a good look at his nametag, in crimson letters spelled: **Chili**.

Will shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, I was hoping I could eat dinner first, but-"

"Tight schedule, bro," Chili responded quickly, shrugging, "Now or never!"

"Okay then," said Will, moving his napkin from his lap and back onto the table as he rose, "Let me just-whoops!"

Out of Will's unsecured jacket pocket tumbled his Pokèdex onto the floor. It landed with a clatter and lay flat on its back, luckily showing no signs of damage. Will quickly bent down and picked it up off of the ground.

"Sorry! I was careless and-"

"Wait!" interjected Chili, grabbing suddenly at Will's wrist and yanking it towards him, "This is a Pokèdex, right? Professor Juniper gave this to you?"

"Yes…" answered Will cautiously, not a big fan of Chili's sudden touchiness.

Chili laughed, as if sharing an inside joke with himself. "Dude, I can't fight you just yet! Wait here, I'ma go get my brothers!" Chili darted back across the battlefield and into the kitchen, leaving an answerless Will and an order-less Bianca back at the table.

"I…I just can't win, can I?" said Will, easing himself back down into his seat.

"I just wanna eat…" pouted Bianca.

Will chuckled drolly. "I guess neither of us are getting chili anytime soon…"

On the contrary, neither William nor Bianca had to wait much longer for what they sought. The double doors leaning into the kitchen burst open as Chili strode out once again. Behind him were two others, garbed in the same waiter's suits but sporting different color schemes.

The waiter directly behind Chili was an inch or two taller than the redhead, and sported neatly combed green hair instead of red. Like Chili, his bowtie matched.

Behind him was yet another waiter even taller than the last two. Rounding out the color spectrum, his hair was a deep marine blue that rolled in waves down the left side of his face, covering his eye.

The three fanned out at Will and Bianca's table allowing them to see the newcomer's nametags: Cilan was apparently the one with green hair, and the blue hair belonged to Cress.

"So you're the one Chili told us about?" asked Cilan, "One of Professor Juniper's Trainers?"

"That's right," answered Will, shifting uneasily in his seat. He was still unsure of the trio's intent regarding his Gym Battle and was even more unsure as to whether or not he would like it. "I saw the sign outside and I kinda get the little color thing you guys have going, so…I assume you're _all _Gym Leaders?"

"That is correct," Cress answered coolly, "My brother's and I shoulder the burden of our restaurant and Gym Leader careers as one. I am Cress, the oldest…"

"My name is Cilan! The middle child!"

"And I'm Chili! I came last, but that don't mean a thing on the battlefield!"

Cress chuckled at his brother's gusto. "Calm yourself, Chili. No one doubted your skills."

"Okay," interjected Will, standing again, "I get the whole 'three Gym Leaders' thing, but not exactly how that relates to me. Who do I battle?"

"Allow me to answer!" said Cilan, "We have a schedule of which one of us faces challengers throughout the date in question, the contents of which we decide at the beginning of every month."

"Only four months contain thirty days," interjected Cress, "and so we must decide which one of us gets an extra day in the months that have thirty one."

"Except for February! Twenty eight days in there!" shouted Chili.

"Forgoing the exception of leap years, in which there are twenty nine," finished Cilan.

"Totaling three hundred and sixty five days," said Cress.

"Three hundred and sixty six on a leap year!" Chili reminded him.

"And dividing by three, neither of which-"

"Guys!" shouted Will, putting an end to the brotherly banter. Yeah, he got it, they were triplets and they had the whole triplet thing going! Big whoop! "You were explaining how your system worked, not how the calendar worked!"

Cilan sweatdropped. "My apologies. We tend to get off track at times…"

"I never could have guessed…"

Cress cleared his throat and took over. "As my younger brother informed you, we have a rotating system. It goes me, then Cilan, then Chili; it was the order nature assigned to our births, so we figured it would suffice for our Gym."

"The two that _aren't_ battling have to work the kitchen," Chili added with a sneer.

"Bittersweet, I would say, if cooking food for others to enjoy was not my passion!" said Cilan with a twinkle in his eye. "But cooking is not our only specialty! Each of us specializes in a basic Type of Pokémon, you see! I specialize in-"

"Grass," deadpanned Will, hoping to hurry the process along. The charm of the trio's brotherly quirks: wearing off very quickly for William Grey.

Chili leapt back in surprise. "H-how did you guess!?"

"It isn't really that hard to guess, Chili," sighed Cress, "We are essentially color-coded after all…"

"Right…sorry!"

"As you already know," Cilan continued with gusto, "The three basic Types that most Pokémon Professors distribute to their Trainers are also Fire, Water and Grass. Whenever one of Professor Juniper's Trainers come visit our Gym, we usually match them up with whichever one of us has the Type super-effective against theirs."

"It's a little game that we play with Professor Juniper," said Cress, "She once joked with us that if her Trainers just waited for a day when their Pokémon's Type was strong against that day's specialty, they'd have an easy time."

Will frowned, his fingers toying with the Pokèballs on his belt. "Does that mean I don't have _any _option?" Facing an opponent with Pokémon superior in typing to Rocket would be a difficult matchup even _without _him being as disobedient as he was.

"Ultimately, the choice rests with you. But we'd like to at least give you the option to challenge yourself," said Cress neutrally, shrugging his shoulders.

"That other kid from Nuvema Town faced me, the one with the Snivy," Chili interjected, "What was his name? Jeremy? Jared?"

"Cheren!" Bianca shouted irately at the same time the name popped into Will's mind.

If nothing else, that cinched it. Admittedly the choice was a little difficult when it ultimately rested with him. He could choose Chili and have an easy time with Rocket, or he could choose Cress and be evenly matched. Or of course he could comply with the brothers' simple wish and challenge Cilan…

"Who wants an easy battle anyway?" Will said with a grin, holding his hand out to Cilan. "I'll fight you, Cilan."

Cilan graciously shook Will's hand. "I take it that means you started with Oshawott? Truly, a battle between it and Chili would have been a watered-down meal!"

"Uh, yeah…" said Will. Cilan was proving to have quirks even _apart _from all of the trio's quirky family dynamics. For a waiter, the food thing kinda made sense. "So…should we battle?" asked Will, grabbing Rocket's Pokèball off of his belt

"A delicious idea! Follow me to the battlefield!"

Cilan, Will, Cress and Chili began to make their way towards the open space in the center of the restaurant. As Cilan and Will went on ahead, Cress reached out and stopped Chili from moving any further.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" demanded Chili, scowling at the hand pressing on his chest.

"Since Cilan is battling, and I will be refereeing, you'll need to wait tables," his brother calmly informed him before turning away and continuing on.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Chili waved a fist in the air and shouted at his traitorous brother. "Today was my day to begin with! And I got here first!"

"And I was born first. Now go, we have customer's waiting to have their orders taken."

Grumbling to himself, Chili pulled a notepad out from his apron and a pencil from within it. As Cilan and Will readied themselves for a battle, Chili made himself busy taking orders. His first stop was back at Will and Bianca's table, at which the young blonde took at least five minutes to confirm whether or not she wanted lettuce on her salad. Chili didn't make the mistake of asking her what kind of soup she would like on the side and decided to simply give her the Soup of the Day.

Proceeding to the next table, he found only one occupant hidden behind their menu. Chili readied his notepad for the next order.

"What can I get you tonight?" he asked, going through the regular routines. "Our soup of the day is Kalosi Onion, and our-wait, Burgundy?"

The connaiseusse's knuckles grew white around the menu she clutched. Her hand shot out and grabbed Chili by the collar, dragging him down to eye level.

"Keep quiet, _grande gueule_! Someone could hear you!" she hissed, eyes darting from side to side to confirm they had remained inconspicuous. "How did you even know it was me?"

"I saw some of your hair poking over the menu," Chili admitted with a chuckle. He choked as Burgundy tightened her grip on his collar. "Yeesh, sorry! What are you doing here? I thought you swore that you'd never come back."

"Circumstances change. It's complicated, but I want to watch this battle." She released his collar and shoved him back. "Can you just not tell…_him_…that I'm here?"

Chili straightened his bowtie, and then considered his options. "Well…as long as you order something, I don't really see a reason to kick you out…"

"Fine! I'll have, uh…I'll have…" Burgundy lowered her menu and pointed at Bianca. "I'll have whatever she's having." _I already told her that her tastes were __**ordures**__. Might as well confirm…_

"M'kay…" Chili scribbled the order down on his pad. "It'll be here in a minute. Enjoy your, uh…whatever you're here for…"

"Oh, I intend to…" snickered Burgundy, keeping her head low and her eyes trained on the battlefield. The show was about to begin and a delicious double-order of _revenge_ was about to be served…

…

As he and Cilan stepped onto the polished battlefield, Will was ushered to the right-hand side of the field, to a simple brown Trainer's box from which he would command his Pokémon. The counterpart on the left side was split into three sections: it was one third blue, one green and one red, befitting of the Gym's triple typing.

Cress stood adjacent to the actual field in a white rectangle painted onto the floor. Bending down, he picked up two flags, one red and one green and held them in his corresponding left and right hands. He checked both sides to make sure that the challenger and Gym Leader were on their sides, and begun his referee mantra.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a Gym Battle between Leader Cilan Denodorn of Striaton City and challenger William Grey of…where are you from?"

"Icirrus City!" he called back.

"Right, right. And challenger William Grey of Icirrus City! Each Trainer may use one Pokémon, and as such, substitutions are entirely forbidden. Whomever knocks out the opposing Trainer's Pokémon first shall be declared the winner. If this should be the challenger, he will receive the Trio Badge as confirmation of his triumph."

Cress's little speech was followed up by a loud-though not exactly boisterous-uproar of clapping intermixed with a few cheers. Will's head swiveled from left to right taking in the amount of spectators that the restaurant had provided for his Gym Battle. Up until that point he had not really noticed that so many would be watching his battle.

Another nice thing about Restaurant Three-Star: dinner always came with a show. Though Will was unsure yet if he would appreciate all the extra eyes in his very first Gym Battle…

"Are both Trainers ready?" asked Cress, raising his flags.

"As ready as hot soufflé!" declared Cilan.

"Uh, yeah…what he said," replied Will.

Cress nodded. "In that case, let the battle begin!" He waved both flags in a downward motion, heralding the battles beginning.

From under his apron, Cilan produced a gleaming red and white Pokèball and pecked it with a kiss like a chef declaring his dish complete. "Prepare your palate for a tasteful fight, William Grey, because it's battling time!"

Out of Cilan's Pokèball emerged a green simian Pokémon, excitedly somersaulting onto the battlefield at the feet of its Trainer. Most of its fur was a healthy pigmented green with the exception of its torso, arms and the bottom half of its face, which were all tan colored. Two large green ears protruded from either side of its ovular head and were shaded partially by the shrub-like apparatus sprouting from its head, which closely resembled a giant broccoli in Will's honest opinion. Its tail sprouted two leaves on the tips, and like many subhuman Pokémon, its hands featured opposable thumbs.

_A Grass-Type if I've ever seen one…_Will thought as he pulled out his Pokèdex to identify the thing. If the Denodorns had taken such an interest in his Pokèdex in the first place, then they surely wouldn't mind him actually making use of it.

**Pansage, **it hummed in its usual synthetic accent, **The Grass Monkey Pokémon. Pansage is theorized to have adapted to its forest-based from the same common ancestor as its cousins, Pansear and Panpour. This change was estimated to have happen about 1500 years ago when Unova underwent rapid climate change under unknown circumstances. Pansage makes its home in thick forests and jungles. It sports a flowering growth atop its head that, unlike Grass-Type Pokémon such as Tropius and Maractus, does not bear fruit. However, these leaves yield a calming effect when ingested. For centuries, monks and other seekers of enlightenment have concocted pastes and potions using Pansage's leaves to help clear their minds for meditation and prayer, helping Pansage earn its name. This Pansage is male and is an estimated ten years of age. It possesses the ability Gluttony and can use the moves Work Up, Lick, Fury Swipes and Vine Whip.**

"A little more experience than I'd like a Pokémon facing Rocket to have," Will said to himself as he took out said Oshawott's Pokèball, trying to formulate a quick outline of a strategy. "Vine Whip is the only super-effective move I'll have to look out for, since Fury Swipes and Lick aren't all that damaging. Work Up…I'm not familiar with that one though." Will shook his head. "Better not overthink it. That won't help me. Go, Rocket!"

"Osha osha!" he declared. Rocket took a quick survey of the large crowd around him and, a bit daunted, gave a shy wave to his adoring public.

"Can I…can I have a minute, please?" Will asked Cress. "Just to talk to Rocket."

Cress shrugged. "I don't see why not."

Will nodded his thanks and knelt quickly down by Rocket. "Listen, buddy, this isn't a game anymore, okay? This is a Gym Battle. A legitimate, _important _Gym Battle!" He gently poked Rocket in the chest. "Our progress is actually being tracked with this one, so it matters in that regard too. This is important to me, this is important to you, this is important to _all of us_!" Sighing, Will bowed his head and allowed himself to be frank with Rocket this time. "Just…please listen to me, okay?"

Rocket saluted. "Osha osha!"

"Good," said Will, patting Rocket on the back and standing back up, heading over to his corner. "Knew I could count on you." He turned then to Cilan. "I'm ready to fight if you are!"

"Most certainly I am!" said Cilan, bowing. "As the challenger, the first move is yours, William!"

"Then we'll take it! Rocket, use Water Gun!" ordered Will.

Instantly crossing both of his fingers, Will squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to whichever cosmic entity would bother listening that he would not open his eyes to see another Razor Shell. He peeked through his tight lids, and what he saw caused his heart to skip a beat.

"Osha-WOTT!" Rocket reared back and launched a gusher of water at Pansage. Will's spirits soared: maybe he had finally gotten through to him!

"Order up, Pansage! Dodge and use Work Up!" Cilan commanded.

Pansage leapt as nimbly out of the way as Will would have expected any tree dweller to be capable of. As soon as he landed, Pansage entered frenzied craze, stomping his feet, _eeking_ and _ooking_ and making an all-around ruckus. When he finished, he looked even more pumped up than before, his chest pumping and sweat glistening on his fur.

"Now that we've applied the proper seasonings, serve them some Fury Swipes!"

On all four, Pansage cleared the entire distance between itself and Rocket in mere seconds. Like an emerald flash he appeared right in Rocket's face, and then he began slashing.

"Paaaansagesagesagesagesage!" he squeaked, lashing out at Rocket with his hidden claws, driving him back with every swipe.

"Quick, use Tail Whip!" shouted Will, seeing an opportunity to lower Pansage's defenses.

Later on, Will would look back and recognize this as the point at which the battle fell apart. Rocket, feeling threatened by Pansage's imminent and immediate presence forgot about all obligations to Will's command and saw the perfect opportunity instead for a Razor Shell.

Regardless of what attack it was, Cilan was ready. "Pansage, jump back to dodge!"

Just as Rocket's Razor Shell would have clipped Pansage's torso, Pansage skillfully back flipped away leaving Rocket only empty air to strike at.

"No, Rocket!" Will's hands clamped down on his head as he desperately tried to regain control of his renegade Oshawott. "Stop! Stay put and use-"

"WOOOT!" Rocket charged forward with his Razor Shell attack at the ready. With Pansage powered up and completely working the battlefield, and the frenzied Rocket in no mindset to stop him, Rocket and Will could do nothing but dance to his tune.

"Hm, too slow!" declared Cilan, snapping his fingers. "Never serve the main dish before the appetizer, Will! You should have stuck with Tail Whip! Speaking of whips, why don't we whip Rocket into shape with our Vine Whip, Pansage!"

"Sage!" ooked the Grass Monkey, waving its arms. Pansage's tail began to rapidly elongate. Pansage grabbed onto the now ropelike tail and lashed out at Rocket with his tail like he were wielding an actual whip. Rocket was sent tumbling to the edge of the battlefield, His scalchop flying out of his grip and skitting in the other direction.

At this point, the audience members could only cringe and lament the pain that both the Pokémon and Trainer were in, being that they were pretty much on the brink of defeat. Regardless of if they had chosen the side of Leader Cilan of underdog Will, no one could help but feel bad for the kid and the Pokémon.

Back at her table, Bianca frowned and gulped. "Y-you can still do it, Will!" she encouraged, despite knowing that it was over.

At the adjacent table, however, no such qualms were being had. Burgundy slurped down another spoonful of her soup and patted her lips with a napkin, thoroughly enjoying Will's thrashing. "I find it best that my newest regret is being dealt with forthwith," she said contentedly, leaning back in her chair, "Cilan's day will come…but Will's number is up."

And he knew this. Fists clenched tightly, Will watched his wounded Pokémon struggle to pick himself off of the floor, a feat that was very difficult to do. Albeit because it was due to him not listening, Will faced facts and realized that Rocket was in so much pain because…because he wasn't good enough of a Trainer. He had rushed in with his gun halfcocked; he _knew _that he didn't prepare and he had been fine with that.

_I can't believe myself…I can't believe I'd allow this to happen!_

"Osha…wott…" Hanging on by a thread, Rocket had yet to give up. The Sea Otter staggered to his feet and, seeing his scalchop on the complete other end of the battlefield, made the effort to retrieve it.

Cilan sighed. Attacking a defenseless Pokémon did not make him happy, but he had no choice unless he himself wanted to forfeit. "Like taking a cold bite out of an otherwise warm meal…Pansage, finish with Vine Wh-"

"Stop!"

Heads jerked over to the challenger's side of the field, which no longer contained a challenger. Will had rushed onto the field and scooped up the wounded Rocket, who had been on the brink of falling back over anyway.

"I forfeit! You…you win, Cilan. I surrender…"

Head hung in shame, Will plodded slowly across the field to retrieve Rocket's scalchop whilst cradling the Oshawott firmly in his arms. Not a word was said as he gently placed the shell onto Rocket's belly, and soon after recalled him into his Pokèball.

"I guess…that Cilan Denodorn is the winner…" Cress begrudgingly announced, giving the flags a weak wave. Yes, his brother had won, but that didn't give him an excuse to be happy about the amount of shame Will had put himself in.

Much like Cress and even Cilan, the audience didn't find cause for cheer. They all turned back to their dinners and tried to strike up conversations, but they could only manage whispers.

A human and a Pokémon had just been grievously wounded. Nary a cause for celebration on any accord.

Bianca tried to speak up and raise Will's spirits as he returned to the table and shouldered his bag, but nothing came out. Too timid to speak up, Bianca watched from her seat as Will pushed in his chair, placed money on the table to pay for Bianca's meal and shuffled towards the door without another word.

Unknown to Will, one pair of eyes did not awkwardly shy away from him as he dejectedly left the battlefield. Burgundy watched intently as the hollow young man left, waiting for her moment of triumph to arrive.

She wanted to brag. She wanted to jump up onto her chair and proclaim to all that Will's crushing defeat was a result of divine karma being served by the powers that be, but for some reason, she could not.

_Why…why can't I do this? _she earnestly pondered, _Why can I not enjoy my revenge! __**Sacrebleu**__, revenge is one of my favorite things! And Will is one of my least favorite people!_

But much like Will, Burgundy could not thing of much else to do aside from slink away from her table and out of the restaurant.

Both had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

**As far as surnames go, I usually take the Japanese name of a character and retool it a bit, but for Cilan, Cress and Chili I simply combined all of their original Japanese names, which were (respectively): Dent, Corn and Pod. Personally, I'm satisfied with the result. **

**This chapter was also supposed to end with some more hi-jinx between Burgundy and the Striaton Trio, but I wanted it to end on a more solemn and somber note. Rest assured, her conversation with Chili wont be the last time that Cilan and his brothers get under her skin!**

**But Will's battle has ended in a crushing defeat! How will he bounce back, and what will his strategy be for earning his Trio Badge? Find out next time in ****_Chapter 15: Dreamyard Blues!_**

**As for the Reader Question: For most of us (hopefully) it's the summer break, meaning sun, fresh air and picnics in the great outdoors. But forget about that for a moment! Also with summer comes the bountiful opportunities to forgo the whole "outside" thing and sit in a dark, air conditioned amphitheater and pay exorbitant fees for popcorn to watch a summer blockbuster! Which movie being released this summer are you most excited for? I'm a huge Marvel fanboy, and...well...JUST A FEW MORE WEEKS TILL GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY! WOO!**

**Answer after you review, and I'll see ya next week!**


	16. Dreamyard Blues

**Chapter 15: Dreamyard Blues**

* * *

**Nuvema Town, Juniper Labs**

* * *

"Arf arf!"

Lillipup announced her presence with two elated yips, excitedly padding over to Juniper's workplace with that morning's newspaper clamped tightly in her tiny jaws. She stood upon her hind legs with her forelegs using Juniper's chair as balance as she offered her hostess the paper, feverously wagging her tail all the while.

Smiling, the professor reached a hand down to pat the Puppy Pokémon on her head. "Thank you, Lillipup," she said, accepting the slightly moist roll of paper from her mouth.

Ever since Will had sent the young canine to stay with Juniper, she had made herself a very busy Lillipup. On her own initiative, and with much gusto, she began performing tasks such as fetching the paper, retrieving Juniper's slipper from her office and even warming her lap during long nights behind the desk. The two had bonded immensely since her arrival and she had been nothing but a boon to have around.

Barring a few isolated incidents.

Such as the chewing up of a pair of Valarie's socks…and tracking mud in the house (to Minccino's chagrin) as well as one instance of digging up the garden…she hadn't exactly made friends with the mailman…and had an accident or two on the floor…

Okay, so maybe their time together hadn't been a box of chocolates so to speak. But the good times were good and the bad times were forgettable.

"Let's see what's in the news today," Juniper said with a sigh as Lillipup hopped onto her lap and she unfurled the newspaper. Call her old fashioned, but Aurea preferred to read the physical newspaper, as opposed to watching a newscast on TV or reading articles online. Her time behind a keyboard was spent almost strictly on research (excepting the occasional foray onto a dating sight, preferably when not being teased by Kalosi colleagues that shall go unnamed…) and she hardly ever watched TV to begin with. Aurea just liked the feel of having the newspaper in her hands, and the smell of the fresh print every morning.

Aurea read the paper in pieces throughout the day when she had a spare minute or two, such as when breaking for a meal or waiting for data to process. For now, she simply scanned the front page to gauge her interest in the articles included within that day's issues.

Said issues of _The Castelia City Times _featured several headlines of no particular intrigue to Juniper: a sport's article detailing the previous night's home hockey game where the Castelia City Rangers defeated the Anistar Psyducks. Next to it was a column directing to the business section and told of yet another company's acquisition (controversially enough, another manufacturing company) by the megacorporation Hannibal Industries.

What really drew Juniper's eye was the front page's main article.

"What's up, doc?"

Juniper's swiveled around in her chair as Mal walked into the room, sipping from a mug of steaming coffee. She smiled at her assistant and returned to her paper. "Morning, Malcolm. Just reading the paper like usual. Where's your sister?"

"Went to the store to get milk. None of the others were around so it was left up to one of us to go."

"And you fought over who had to?" Juniper said sardonically, cocking an eyebrow. It was much less of a legitimate question than it sounded, and Aurea's voice was dripping with sarcasm as it was.

"Naturally." Mal took a contented sip of his coffee. "I won."

"Be honest: she just didn't feel like fighting, did she?"

Mal held out for a moment under the gaze of his employer, but sighed and relented after a mere seven seconds. "Valerie still had curlers in her hair and she didn't want to mess them up fighting, so she left. Which was a good decision on her part…" Placing his mug temporarily on a nearby, shelf, Malcolm executed a series of exaggerated karate poses. "…I would have _totally _taken her out."

"Right…" Unimpressed, Juniper swiveled back around in her chair and fanned the paper out on her desk.

"Gee, thanks for having some faith in me, boss." Malcolm retrieved his mug from the shelf and shuffled over towards Juniper, leaning over her shoulder to get a look at the paper. "So, anything interesting in the news?"

"Nothing much. Sports, business, nothing a researcher needs to worry about." Turning her attention over to a computer monitor, she tapped the main article to satisfy Mal's curiosity. "Though all of this Team Plasma nonsense is starting to unnerve me in the weirdest way…"

Brows furrowed, Mal reached down and picked up the paper. The cover photo depicted several of the organization's members garbed in their usual Templar knight-esque uniforms while cradling beleaguered looking Pokémon outside of a clutter city alleyway. Beneath that within a wall of text was a headshot of the organization's leader, the clandestine Ghetsis Harmonia. The article's title was "Team Spirit: Plasma's Protecting Priory's Pets."

Skimming through it, Mal put together a brief summary: from their new headquarters that had just opened up in Castelia's eastern quarter the Team had taken in a host of Pokémon made homeless by the bulldozing of the abandoned church in which they had once made their homes.

"They don't seem so bad to me," commented Mal, pursing his lips. He placed the paper back onto Juniper's desk. "They're out there fighting the good fight. They do some pretty good work, what with taking in the Pokémon disenfranchised by human activities, nursing them back to health and then sending them off on their way. I mean, convincing people to cut all ties with Pokémon forever might be a bit much, but power to them if they want to preach better treatment of Pokémon. That's a message I feel like a lot of people need to hear."

Juniper stopped typing for just a moment, minimizing her tab and turning to face her assistant. Mal instantly switched into a listening mood when he saw her eyes: the green irises were frank, and only wished for him to give whatever she was going to say next a stern considering. He knew that look: Juniper was laying it down flat. Giving her earnest thoughts without bias or hopeful speculation. Just the facts.

Something she rarely did outside of lab work.

"You're right, Malcolm," she said evenly, "Everyone on this planet, no matter if they're a sinner or a saint, could afford to be a little nicer in some way. But in the same way…forgive me for judging before I've even had an opportunity to interact with Team Plasma, but this feels like…well…you know how the epilogue to war is always peace? At least for a time?"

Malcolm nodded astutely.

"Well…the way I see it, peace is always the prelude to war. And Team Plasma seems in an awfully frantic hurry to reach peace."

"Wow, Professor," said Malcolm, taking a few moments to process what Juniper was saying, "That was…profound…"

She smirked. "I try." Aurea swiveled around in her chair and got back to work. "But what do I know about people? I'm frequently told by…_friends_…that I'm a bit too dramatic. Maybe Team Plasma really _is _just in it for the community service. Maybe Professor Aurea Juniper is just another nutty professor and the peace-preaching Team Plasma isn't actually out to enslave us all."

Malcolm chuckled, taking another sip of his drink. "What a world…"

The duo heard a door close behind them, and in walked Valarie. As Mal had described, she had not yet dressed for the day and was still garbed in her pink bathrobe and slippers. Her red hear was done up in curls (with the curlers still included) and her face was coated with a mask of green moisturizer cream. In her left hand she clutched a gallon of milk.

"Came running back now, did ya?" Mal bragged to his sister as she approached him, heedless of his boasts. "Too ashamed to admit def-OOF!"

Valarie shoved the gallon of milk into Malcom's groin, causing him to double over in pain. She let go of the carton as she continued to walk by, thus forcing her brother to grab it before it fell onto the ground. She proceeded on to the Professor.

"You accidentally left this in my bathrobe instead of yours, Professor," said Val, producing a red Xtransceiver from one of her pockets. Since she was the only other permanent members of the lab's personnel that was of the fairer gender aside from Juniper, Valarie and Aurea shared a bathroom in the lab's small housing nook, as well as very similar looking bathrobes. "There was a message from Bianca Belle in Striaton City."

"Oh?" Aurea attempted to turn the device on, but to no avail as she found the battery was dead. She cursed her own negligence; it had been left on all night long, due to it not being charged, due to it not being in her pocket when she retired to bed. "What did it say?"

"Well…" One of her fingers began to absentmindedly wrap one of her curls around itself, a telltale sign that it was not in fact good news. "She and William visited the Gym last night and William faced Cilan using only Rocket, and well…"

Juniper sighed halfheartedly. She would have liked to be able to sport more faith after hearing those few words from Val, but she unfortunately knew where her assistant was going with her little recap.

"That's…a shame," lamented Juniper, "I'm sure he had his hopes up high…"

"No doubt…" wheezed Mal, slowly recovering from his sister's critical strike.

"I can almost see it now…" Val said with a sigh, leaning up against the wall and staring off into space. She was always one for theorizing, even more so than her brother and Aurea. "He's probably beside himself with sorrow and shame…poor kid. I bet he couldn't even sleep last night!"

…

The rumble of Will's raucous snoring completely drowned out the sound of his Xtransceiver vibrating on the nightstand beside him. Whoever it was one the other end, it seemed they would have to wait for him to awaken to receive their message.

After his crushing defeat and humiliation at the Striaton City Gym (a.k.a Restaurant Three-Star) the previous night, Will had trudged straight back to the Pokémon Center, handed his teammates over to the medial attendants present, and hopped straight into bed.

Will always slept deeply when he was depressed. He considered it almost a defense mechanism. If he came home from a rough day (which he very often did in the past) he could just plop right down in bed and not have to worry about insomnia.

The vibrating (three calls worth of it, in fact) persisted until Will's finally gave in and begrudgingly awoke. Groaning, he reached up for the communicator watch and held it in front of his weak eyes, still adjusting to the light of day.

"Who the heck called me three times…" he mumbled, tapping the 'Messages' button. Half expecting to hear encouragement and coddling from Bianca (none of which he needed) Will was at least a bit surprised when the tiny device produced Doctor Fennel's voice.

_"Hey William, it's me! Fennel. Doctor Fennel. You know, the one you did all that work for?" _The message paused for a moment, nearly leading Will to believe that it had ended there. _"You know who I am. Anyway, I need your help with one more itty-bitty favor back at my apartment. It's really, really, REALLY important and I don't know who else to call on at the last moment. I tried asking my doorman Randy, but he's acting all weird around me all of a sudden…Help me, William Grey. You're my only hope…"_

The next message began to play immidiately after the first concluded. Comfortable in bed, Will decided to just lie still and continue listening. He was up, after all. That was enough for now.

Not that he was all too thrilled about being cajoled into doing Fennel's errands _again_…

_"Me again!" _Fennel chirped in the second message. _"It's been five minutes and you haven't responded yet…I'd assume you were getting dressed or in the bathroom or something, but you keep this thing on your wrist! So you have no excuse not to pick up when I call!"_

Will rolled his eyes. "So _this _is why all of her boyfriends break up with her…"

_"Soooo…please, please, PLEASE help me out here! I'll be the laughingstock of the town if Xien shows me up at the convention tonight! I need help. Please do me one last favor!"_

_"Starting to get worried…" _Fennel said shakily in the opening of the final message, _"Was it something I said? Did I anger you? If you're worried about that wrench, don't be. Please William, I'm begging you! I need someone good with Pokémon to help me out with my invention. I'm. Begging. You. Help me…"_

Groaning, Will flicked his Xtransceiver off and tossed it onto the bed. He tossed off the covers and slowly began to break out of his groggy trance.

"Fennel will probably keep calling me until I see what she wants anyway," mumbled Will as he threw he bent over to gather his clothing from his bag lying at the foot of the bed. All the other boys who had been sharing the small Pokémon Center dormitory with him that night had left a long time ago, giving Will the room all to himself. "Plus, I don't know how to block numbers on the Xtransceiver yet…"

"No, that would just be rude," he retorted, oddly enough, to himself. "She's a nice lady and a friend of the professor's. I'll just go swing by her place and see what's up."

"Yeah, but on the other hand…" Will blinked his eyes, his head cocking back as his mind suddenly penetrated a thick veil of confoundedness from within.

"Am I…am I talking to myself?"

…

Will rapped his knuckles against the faded surface of Door 49 on the eight floor of the apartment building on 39 Trinity Street. He and Cell had to wait nary another moment before they heard an excited squeal and the sound of rapidly shuffling feet coming from inside.

"Lo solos…" mumbled Will's amorphous sidekick, less than excitedly. _Well, here we are back here…again. Woo…_

Will tossed him a stern look. "Behave…"

Just then, the door flew wide open and out popped Fennel. Without warning she gripped Will by the shoulders, pulled him inside and slammedthe door behind them with her foot. She released the befuddled brunet, sending him spinning into her living room, nearly causing him to trip over her paper-covered coffee table. Not even regarding his almost-kidnapping, Fennel dashed into another room a second after.

"Fennel! What the-"

"No time to explain!" she shouted from the other room, sounds of intense rummaging following soon after. "My career is in crisis!"

"My sanity is in crisis! You mind giving me a little exposition here?"

Fennel did not respond to Will's testy demand. Instead, he was left waiting in her living room for another solid minute before Fennel rushed back out, inevitably to confuse him even more.

And she delivered on that account. If when telling this story, Will had given you three guesses as to what was under the nutty professor's arm, fifty dollars says you wouldn't be able to.

Placed your bets? Alright, here goes:

It was a vacuum cleaner. A giant, bulbous, chrome vacuum cleaner with a translucent meter of some kind running up the side and Velcro straps attached to its belly. To Will, the thing closely mirrored a device he remembered using in a Nintendo GameCube game years prior to suck up ghosts.

"Here, put this on!" ordered Fennel, thrusting the large cylindrical device into Will's arms. "I need to make sure the straps fit!"

Will gulped, trying to spin around to scrutinize it more closely. Every time he sidestepped however, Fennel compensated by continuing to move in the other direction. "U-uh, Doctor? P-please tell me I'm not actually going to have to trap Ghost-Types with this thing. Because we might have a problem if that's the case…"

"Oh, of course not! Don't be ridiculous!"

Will let out a sigh of relief.

"You're going to go hunting for a mind-altering pink vapor substance located in an abandoned science lab on the outskirts of town!"

_Hello confusion, my old friend…_ "Doctor, perhaps you could-ack!" Will choked, the wind sucked out of him as Fennel suddenly pulled the device's straps tight.

She took a step back, giddily admiring her work. "Oh, good. The straps fit!"

"Doctor…" groaned Will, trying to loosen the straps a tad for breathing purposes.

"Oh, right! How silly of me. How are you supposed to do this if I don't explain how?"

"You'd be surprised how frequently I ask myself the same question…" mumbled Will.

Fennel stepped out from behind him, smoothing her lab coat to her thighs. "You're aware of the Dreamyard, yes? It's located in the area east of the city?"

"Actually, yeah," said Will, nodding. The area was where he had planned to train for the duration of that day, with hopes of having a rematch with Cilan the day after.

"Good. Glad you're familiar with it." As Fennel looked down and began to rummage through one of her coat pockets, she asked her temporary assistant another question.

"You remember what I study, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" Will lied, trying desperately to recall, "Onnamentology or something?"

"Close. I'm an oneirologist. I study dreams. What causes them, what affects them, et cetera," she answered. "But more specifically as of late, I've been studying how dreams can be used by people to communicate with Pokémon, and vice-versa!"

Will was genuinely surprised by this. Perfect communication between humans and Pokémon was something much sought after in the modern world. Sure, Trainers with a deep bond with their Pokémon could communicate well, not to mention the handful of Pokémon that naturally possessed the abilities to communicate with human languages, but a Pokémon-to-human translator was far up the list of hotly desired inventions yet to come about.

_Definitely a show stopper at a convention like this one, _Will thought, thinking back to Fennel's rivalry with the Kantonian woman, Darra Xien.

"You conceived a device that could do this?" asked Will.

Fennel smirked proudly. "Conceived, designed, and built."

"So that was the machine you were going to unveil at the convention," observed Will, scratching his chin, "And so this this 'mind-altering vapor' is-"

"Not actually the power source," interrupted Fennel, surprising Will before naturally going into semantics. She removed her hand from the pocket she so frantically had searched through and held out a crumpled up piece of paper for Will to see. Fennel unrolled it to unveil its surface; a simple picture of a pink, ovular Pokémon sporting lilac flower patterns on its back.

"Munna," supplied Fennel, "The Pokémon that naturally emits the dream mist. As such, the only known source of natural Dream Mist."

Will shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot (his discomfort mostly curtesy of the thirty pound machine sloppily strapped on his back). "Okay, I'm beginning to get the gist of this…but you say 'natural' as if there's an alternative."

"Indeed," Fennel said, suddenly. "You see, the Dream Mist is an essential component to the machine performing its functions. The machine itself does not actually read and translate the Pokémon's dreams. The Dream Mist acts as a proxy for this function, a catalyst almost. Dream Mist's dream-inducing effects allow the machine to be able to 'read' the dream by translating the effect produced by the Dream Mist as _it _interprets the dream."

"Oneirology" clearly did not rest within Will's less than vast gripping of the sciences; Fennel's explanation had left his head all but literally spinning. "Okay, so what you're telling me," Will said, trying to reinterpret, "Is that the Dream Mist reads the dream, after which the machine reads the Dream Mist reading the dream."

"In layman's terms, yes."

"Alright, good enough for me. Proceed."

Fennel smiled and nodded, thanking him for his understanding. "Now I'm guessing you want me to get a tad more in-depth about the apparatus supported by your back?" she asked, gesturing to the device in question.

"That would be nice, yes," replied Will. The glorified vacuum was actually beginning to feel heavier, now that she mentioned it…

"Dream Mist, in its rawest form, induces sleep and dreaming in whomever are exposed to it," explained Fennel, pressing her fingers together to add inflection. "About half a century ago or so Dream Mist was used as an anesthetic in hospitals. However, due to short supply and its tendency to produce lucid dreams in those subject to it, Dream Mist was phased out by modern medicines. It's no longer distributed commercially, and I just don't have the coin to buy from anyone who's selling it these days." Excitedly reaching her point, sticking her thumbs together and forming a rough square angle, which she pointed at Will like it were a camera. "And that's where you come in! Luckily, I happen to live just a few miles away from one of the few natural Munna habitats in the entire world!"

"Alright then, let's recap," said Will, counting off on his fingers. "Your machine needs this natural Dream Mist to work. Dream Mist can only be made by Munna. Munna lives in the Dreamyard just outside of town. I have to find and catch a Munna to get you the Dream Mist, which you need by…"

"Seven 'o clock," supplied Fennel, "And you don't necessarily have to catch it, either. Simply using the Procuratron I gave you, you can suck up samples of the Dream Mist without need of a Pokèball!"

Will pursed his lips, still not impress at Fennel's descriptions of the vacuum cleaner he was hefting around. "Doctor, it doesn't matter if you give it a fancy name or not. It's still a vacuum cleaner."

"No it isn't! It's my Procuratron!" Fennel argued adamantly, wagging a finger at Will. "The electron bondage of Dream Mist is extremely weak and can't be attained in valid samples unless-"

"Doctor Fennel, it's a vacuum cleaner."

"Okay, fine…b-but I made some additions to it!"

…

Munna was not-and this was becoming more and more apparent to Will with each passing minute-much of a social Butterfree. He vaguely recalled some bits of information on the creature that he'd learned in school, namely that they were in fact quite rare. One of Unova's rarest species, in fact.

But one would have thought that one of the world's most (or, _apparently _most) lucrative Munna hotspots would have at least _a few _Munna.

Or at least just one!

Will had been searching for three hours and had yet to encounter hide nor hair of a single Munna, much less catch whiff of any Dream Mist.

"This is ridiculous…" he growled to himself as he checked behind yet another bush. As if a Munna would just be _waiting there _for him.

"So, solos…" sighed Cell, equally exhausted. _I think we've been sent on a wild Zangoose chase…_

Letting out a disgruntled moan, Will undid the traps to the Procuratron and let the thing slide off of him and onto the ground. Finally free, the brunet rolled his stiffened shoulders and cracked his neck; while not extremely hefty, the Procuratron had no doubt left its mark on Will after several hours of it being strapped to him. With absolutely no payoff, Will might add.

He checked the time on his Xtransceiver. "Just about four…" Will grabbed his two other Pokèballs from his belt and tossed them into the air, releasing Rocket and Noire.

"Parrrrr…" purred Noire, immediately curling up in a sunny spot on the ground.

"Osha! Osha wa-…" elated as usual, Rocket's excitement faded as soon as he saw Will, and he sobered considerably. This was the first time that Rocket and his Trainer had been face to face since the Gym Battle last night…

Kneeling down, Will patted his Pokémon on the shoulder. "Hey, look at me," he said soothingly, coaxing Rocket's head towards him, "I'm not mad at you, okay?"

"Osha…" said Rocket.

"Listen, I know what you're feeling right now. We lost and that sucks. And I'll admit, your listening skills contributed to the problem, but...it wasn't entirely your fault."

Surprised, Rocket looked up at Will. He had expected a grilling several weeks in the making. His rebellious behavior had gotten Will into numerous uncomfortable situations since their first meeting and had finally yielded a crushing defeat in Will's first major battle. He hadn't obeyed, and that was why Pansage had been able to mop the floor with him. What did Will mean.

Will grinned. "That's right, buddy," he said humbly, "I'm to blame here, too."

"Osha wot?"

"Well, in a way…I was too negligent too," said Will, sitting down cross-legged with Rocket. "I got cocky, like you did. Just because I beat Cheren and Boldore and N without much forethought, I guess it made me think I was invincible as long as I rushed in with guns ablaze." Head in his hands, Will began to stare emptily up at the sky. "Clearly, that didn't work out for anyone…so we're gonna try a new approach."

"Osha?" Rocket asked, curious.

"Yup," affirmed Will, now up on his feet, "This is what we're going to do. And this goes for every Gym battle, every tournament and every shindig that we're gearing up for in the future. We're going to train. We're going to prepare. And when our opponents think they have us in checkmate, we're going to show them otherwise!"

"Osha osha!" agreed Rocket, his gusto returning to him as he leapt excitedly into the air.

"Los," Cell also agreed, much more refined.

Still curled up in her napping position, Noire simply yawned and stretched out her paws, making it explicitly clear that she just wanted to be left out of it.

…

"Noire, go in for another Scratch attack!"

Returning to her side of the makeshift field after visiting another attack on Rocket, Noire planted her front paws into the ground and spun around once again, launching herself right back at her target. Her silvery claws protracted again from in between her paws and she thrust them out at the defending Oshawott.

Will crossed his fingers like he had down every time he'd told Noire to do another Scratch. He prayed that this would be the time his strategy paid off.

It didn't. Noire struck Rocket's scalchop and yielded the same result as every other attempt prior. With a loud _CLANG_, the tan shell would once again go flying out of Rocket's grasp and clatter onto the ground several yards away.

"Osha!" exclaimed Rocket, disheartened, as he was shoved onto the ground by the force of the attack. Noire, instantly losing any investment she might have had in the battle, plopped back down on her rear and immediately began to preen her fur.

"Rocket, hold on to that shell as hard as you can!" advised Will as he himself went over and picked up the shell. Handing it back to his Oshawott, he added, "If you just grip it tight enough, you'll have it down in no-"

"_Oh mon_, this is just becoming too painful to watch," interrupted a smarmy voice from behind, "You'd think have a dozen failures would beat it into his skull that it can't be done…"

Will whipped around, and his eyes widened. Making her way out of the brush several yards behind him was who else but Burgundy Cabernette, the uppity self-proclaimed "connaiseusse" who had talked smack about his Pokémon directly to his face immediately following her bringing Bianca nearly to tears. Burgundy wore the same formal attire as she had in their last meeting with the addition of a small yellow backpack slung over her shoulders. Smiling knowingly at Will, she made her way into the clearing that Will had claimed for training.

"Tch, what do you want?" asked Will, defiantly.

"Only to help," she replied, shrugging. "Watching you fail over and over and over again is almost becoming painful…"

Will cocked an eyebrow. "Why do you want to help me?" he wondered aloud, "I'm…pretty sure I hate you. And I assumed that went double for you towards me?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong: my hatred towards you burns hotter than a thousand suns," she stated matter-of-factly as she sat down on a tree stump, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she did so, "I've already gotten my revenge on you, _cependant_."

"We…haven't met since that time at the mall…" retorted Will just as it clicked. "Wait! You spied on me at my Gym battle!?"

Burgundy shrugged as she went through her bag. "It isn't spying if it's in a public place."

"First off, yes it is. And second, you would've had to have stalked me to find out where I was _going_!"

"Semantics." From her bag, Burgundy removed a single Pokèball, polished to the point of shining. Due to its essentially reversed color scheme from the regular Pokèball model, Will was able to identify it as a Premier Ball. In essence, a run-of-the-mill Pokèball with a vanity coat of paint.

Burgundy folded her hands on her lap, over the Pokèball. "_Vous voyez_, now that I've gotten my revenge and witnessed your pitiful downfall, I have nothing more to gain from watching you lose again. In the event that you win, I shall once again be avenged and the world will be balanced."

"I'm confused…" said Will.

Burgundy giggled. "Not surprising that you are. I find myself having to explain things to simpletons more articulately."

"E-excuse me!?"

"As it is, you are not the only one who wronged me," continued Burgundy, ignoring Will completely, "Cilan, the green-haired _aberration _of the Striaton City Gym has crossed my path as well…" With every word, Burgundy seemed to become more and more enraged. Will could almost see steam rising from beneath her purple hair. "He needs to get his…and now, conveniently, you're in a position to do so. So yes, in other words, I want to help you grind him into the dust."

Will was having trouble keeping up with Burgundy's wayward tale. And could he be blamed? A day and a half ago, Will had hated Burgundy's guts. And a very short amount of time prior to that she had been a complete stranger. Yet there she was, mere feet from him, smug as a Snivy yet willing to help him win a Gym battle for some twisted brand of her own fulfillment.

Not to mention that she had stalked him on two separate occasions. And those were the only two she had admitted to...

"I could use the help," admitted Will with extreme begrudge.

"I'll say," said Burgundy, straightening her bowtie, "Your training with Oshawott was subpar at best. The only thing you seemed to get right was attacking that one rock…good job with that, I guess…"

Will sweatdropped. "Uh…thanks?" Prior to the phase of Rocket's training he currently found himself conducting, Will had spent a deal of time trying to teach Rocket a new attack that would aid him in fighting Pansage: Fury Cutter. Fury Cutter was a Bug-Type move and was super-effective against Pokémon like Pansage. Having a move like that would help level the playing field immensely for Will.

"So, shall we get this training session underway?" asked Burgundy, casually tossing her Pokèball up and down. "I may end up changing my mind if you wait too long."

"Fine, fine," Will relented. Was he happy about Burgundy rubbing his needy position in his face? Of course not. Did he want to beat Cilan and win the Trio Badge? You bet he did, and Burgundy sounded like she could provide at least a little insight on how to do so.

Burgundy smirked. "Thought you'd come around. "

"Let's just get this on with…" Will said.

"_Très bien_!" declared Burgundy, flicking her Pokèball up into the air, "Then we shall! My darling Gero, it's _re-evaluating_ time, _s'il vous plait_!"

Out of Burgundy's Pokèball came a Pokémon that Will had never before seen. It was a squat, quadrupedal amphibian of some sort, with light blue skin covering its entire body, and a noticeable yet thin layer of slime covering that. Two bulbous yellow eyes poked out from the top of its head. Below its neck was a thick mane of some frothy white substance. As was becoming second nature for Will, the first thing he did upon encountering the new species was to identify it with his Pokèdex.

**Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. Froakie makes its home in the marshes and swamplands of the Kalos region. Froakie spend most of their time submerged in water, and the thin layer of mucus coating their skin protects them from the sun when they are not. Also coating Froakie's neck are a coat of forthy bubbles commonly referred to as _Frubbles_, that can act as a cushion against attacks and can even be discharged for defensive purposes. This Froakie is male and an estimated nine years of age. It possess the ability Protean and can use the moves Bubble, Lick, Quick Attack and Growl.**

"A foreign Pokémon, eh?" mused Will.

"I _did _tell you I was from Kalos, _je n'ai pas_," Burgundy countered haughtily, tossing her hair.

Will's only response was a low growl and the menacing look he supplied to Burgundy, immediately conveying to her exactly the message he wanted it to: either she was here to help, or she could leave. Simple as that.

Burgundy defensively threw up her hands. "Fine, fine, yeesh. Touchy…what training exercises did you have in mind?"

"I want to continue working with Rocket," Will said, looking over at his Oshawott. The little guy had been through a lot that day, and the day before in fact. But he was tough. He hung in where it counted. "Having him master the defensive strategy I have in mind may just give me the edge I need over Cilan."

"I'm all in favor of strategies that will help defeat Cilan, but are you sure that this is something your Oshawott can do?" asked Burgundy, doubtful after what she had witnessed.

"Froak!" croaked Froakie, knowing no better than to agree with his Trainer.

"Let me put it this way," said Will, "If Rocket can take down a higher-leveled Boldore while being thrown headfirst at it, then I'm sure he can handle this."

Burgundy's face went blank. "Excuse me?"

Will bent down to unzip his travel bag lying on the ground just next to him. He reached into the compartment in which he kept the Pokémon food and produced a sole can, which he proceeded to open with his thumb.

"Alright Noire, you've done your part. Come grab a bite to eat," he said, beckoning his Purrloin over to him. Said feline graciously padded off of the field and back into the sun where she could nap in peace. Noire completely ignored her Trainer's offering and curled up in a ball to sleep, making it clear that all she wanted was to be off of the field.

"Okay then…Burgundy, you ready?" asked Will.

"As I'll ever be," she blithely replied, "As is my darling Gero. Aren't you, sweetums?"

"Froak!" agreed the azure amphibian.

"How about you, Rocket," he then asked, grinning at his Oshawott, "Feeling up for another round?"

"Osha osha!" the little guy declared, pinning his scalchop onto his chest and beaming up at his Trainer.

Will couldn't help but grin. "As if I expected any other answer."

…

As William Grey hunted for Munna and trained for battles to come in the uninhibited Dreamyard to the east, the people of Stiraton City continued about their daily routines and businesses. That particular spring day had about run its course, however, and was slowly declining from its apex.

Children were returning home from school. Adults were finishing up their work for the day and preparing to disembark. The Denodorn triplets of Restaurant Three Star were preparing for a fully booked evening of both Gym battles and dinners. And in the center of town, a great gathering of scholars and scientists was commencing.

At noon of that day, the Striaton City Convention Center's doors officially opened to allow in all nonaffiliated participators in the convention. Those several odd thousand who had come from near and far to hear of the latest wonders to have surfaced within the world's scientific community, and to see some of those wonders firsthand.

Some, but not all, had come for this purpose.

A young man, no older than fourteen, did his best to weasel through the bustling crowd without making contact with anyone else. Making effective use of his skinny frame, the young man inched through every available gap in the crowds that he could scope out. Quickly, one step at a time if space dictated, he craftily inched his way through the see of people.

This young man didn't like being around strangers, per say. And even less so in such large quantities in an unfamiliar place. He had embarked with his family to Striaton City several times in the past, yes, but they had always been close behind him in those occasions.

Though, in a way, his family was still with him, and particularly, behind him. Fluttering over his shoulders were two insect Pokémon, strange to find in a city and even stranger in Striaton City. Over his right shoulder fluttered a butterfly Pokémon, possessing a ovular blue body, bulbous red eyes, a pair of antennae and two great white wings. Buzzing noisily over his left shoulder was a wasp-like Pokémon not too unlike the native vagrant Vespiquen who sometimes found their homes in Unova, though this variant was much smaller and in possession of little to no natural armor. Instead, it compensated with a gnarly looking stinger located on its hind quarters, and two impressive pikes adorning its arms to boot.

The boy himself blended together some of his Pokémon's color schemes onto his own outfit. He wore a dark blue short sleeved shirt over a bright yellow long sleeved one. His eyes were a crystal blue, and his hair was just as bright as his shirt, if not possessing a golden sheen that the garment did not. Clipped to a simple leather belt on around his jeans were six Pokèballs.

Finally making it out of the crowd in one piece, the teen allowed himself a brief respite so that he and his Pokémon could catch their collective breaths. Navigating through a maze of science fanatics was more taxing that it looked. Luckily for him the area of the convention center he currently resided was only mildly occupied. From what he understood, the presenters putting their devices on display were doing so not simply for the admiration of their peers, but also for a panel of judges to scrutinize and then rank. These ranks would be provided to a group of wealthy investors to help them decide which scholars, researchers and inventors would have their work funded.

As a matter of fact, this young man was looking for a specific participator in the convention. He himself wished that the convention was not even happening so that he could simply locate her at her apartment and get the interaction over and done with minus the bustling crowds. But things were what they were, and so he set off to find her.

"Freeh," chittered his Butterfree, head drifting back and forth as she searched along with her Trainer.

The blond bit his lip. "I dunno, Lucky. I don't see her either…"

"Bzz bzz!" interjected the Beedrill, darting in front of his Trainer.

"Yes, Spear, I _know _what she looks like!" he replied, gently pushing 'Spear' out of his face, "Lenora showed me a picture before we left…"

"Bzz!"

"No, I didn't bring the picture. Why would I have-"

"Freeh!" The Butterfree, Lucky, using her smacked both her Trainer and her counterpart on the head in unison. She pointed ahead with one of her tiny blue arms. "Freeeh!"

The blond perked up once he saw a nervous looked bluenette standing next to what appeared to be a boiler. "Hey, look. I found her! C'mon, guys."

Lucky rolled her eyes as her Trainer moved on ahead. Humans were just so dense when they really put their minds to it, and her Trainer was only _sometimes _the exception to the rule. Lucky wished she could always say he was different from the rest…

"Bzz-zzz-zz!"

Same went for Spear. Following behind their Trainer, the Beedrill laughed at his surrogate sister, making clear the enjoyment he got from her expense. This earned him a sour glare from Lucky, as well as another wing-smack upside the head.

Unaware of his Pokémon's shenanigans, the blond continued up to meet the young woman standing by her machine. Fumbling with some research notes (many stacks of which present on the ground around her) she did not notice his timid approach until he made himself known.

"Um…uh…hi. Are you, uh…Doctor Fennel?"

Fennel looked up from her notes, startled. "Huh? Oh, sorry! Please just gimmie a-" Squinting through her glasses and got a closer look at the teen. "Oh. You're not a judge. Phew…"

"Freeh!" snapped the Butterfree. _What was your first clue?_

The young man held up a hand to his Butterfree. "No, ma'am, I'm not a judge. I came from Nacrene City…you know, Lenora-"

"Oh! Lenora sent you! That's right!" Smiling, Fennel did a faux-facepalm. "Totally forgot! I got caught up in all of this convention nonsense, you know? All the planning and moving and more planning _after _the moving-"

"Um…ma'am?" he interrupted, rather timidly. "That sounds very interesting and all, but, uh…might I be able to just pick up the package and go?"

Fennel's eyes widened, realizing she was rambling. "Oops! My bad. Sorry, I just have a tendency to ramble sometimes when I'm nervous. I just go on and on and on and on and…I'm doing it again…" She cleared her throat. "Sorry, what was your name again? Toby? Terry?"

"Tony," he answered, "Tony Miller."

"Right, right, Tony! You came for the uh…" Fennel gazed up at the ceiling as she pondered, tapping her chin and humming all the while. "Oh, right! I know what you came for. I don't have it!"

"W-what!?" erupted Tony. He had traveled for days, _literal days_ to get to Striaton City and pick up a package for his mentor. And all of that travel for naught!? Evidently, his Pokémon were just as surprised.

And in one case, even more enraged.

"Freeeeeh!" Lucky chittered angrily, looking ready to bite Fennel's head off.

"Lucky, calm down!" he hissed out the corner of his mouth. Tony was extremely surprised, yes, maybe even a bit let down (or maybe a lot) but he wasn't mad. Tony rarely got angry, and especially didn't do so before thinking something all the way through. After all he had gone through to get to Striaton on his own, he wasn't about to just accept that his princess was in another castle and go back home. "Um, Doctor Fennel?" he asked, doing his best to usher the enraged Lucky behind his back whilst looking Fennel respectfully in the eyes, "Do you know exactly _where _the part is?"

"Hm…lemmie think…" Fennel leaned up against a nearby wall as she continued to ponder. For several minutes she stood like this. Fennel would murmur a few words to herself before shaking her head or shrugging, or otherwise reacting as if she were holding an actual conversation with another human being.

"Bz bzz…" Spear hummed into his Trainer's ear. _This lady is a few cards short of a deck…_

"Be nice," Tony whispered back.

"Aha!" declared Fennel, clenching her fists excitedly as she figured it out. "I used it in one of my newest inventions! The Procuratron 2000!"

"What does that do?" asked Tony.

"It's a vac-er, it's _not _a vacuum cleaner!" she defiantly declared.

"Um…okay?" That didn't answer Tony's question in the slightest…

"I sent someone out into the field with it to gather samples. I suppose if you want, you could go find them. Make sure they know you need it."

Tony shrugged. "Sounds better than just standing around waiting. And maybe we can help out this…"

"William. William Grey," Fennel answered, "Tall, thin, brown hair. If you see a moody Solosis hovering over his shoulder and an Oshawott nearby causing general mischief, then you've found the right person.

_Sounds like a very colorful person…Hopefully he's not **too** talkative. _Tony looked up to his two insectoid companions to consult them. "Well, what do you guys think?"

"Freeh!"

"Bzzz!"

"We'll be off then," said Tony, bowing slightly to Fennel. She raised an eyebrow to this at first, but then recalled it as a Kantonian gesture of respect executed to elders. _What a polite young man…_

"Oops!" She quickly bowed back, hoping not to offend him. "Take care! Oh, and do tell him to hurry back. I've only got a few more hours left until I have to show up…_her_…"

Following the line of Fennel's glare, Tony saw a pale young woman most likely of Fennel's age standing at her own showcase across the room. She held some sort of canister in her hands and directed the attention of a small group of onlookers with various charts on display.

Tony nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned back to Fennel and noticed the raw amount of fury radiating from her body. In seconds her face had gone from a pale white to fiery red, and he could almost _feel _her anger. However, she seemed oblivious to him, and so he grabbed Lucky and Spear and began to slowly inch away.

"Uh…th-thanks? We'll, uh…we'll just…go…," he said meekly as the three snuck away, curtly turning around and hurrying towards the exit, off to find William Grey at the Dreamyard.

And oh, what he would find…

* * *

**Two things I want to cover in this Author's Note. First off is that Tony Miller, the young Bug Catcher introduced at the end of this chapter, is property of fellow FanFiction writer Coli Chibi, a good friend of mine on the site. If you haven't checked out his "Tony's Journey," both past and present editions, you're really missing out on some of the best work on the site, IMO! Thanks to him for letting me borrow his OC!**

**Second is that I gave Burgundy a Froakie not for the reason that it's my favorite Gen VI starter. That would be Chespin. In a nutshell, I gave her Froakie because A) She's from Kalos and that was a good opportunity to introduce some foreign Pokemon in Unova and B) Her starter in the anime was an Oshawott, and due to Will having Rocket I didn't want there to be any confusion or conflicting setups. Her having a Water-Type made sense to her inability to beat Cilan herself, so that's what I decided upon.**

**I've been rambling. Apologies. Anyway, Reader Question this week is: What was your favorite location from the Gen V games? **

**Reviews are appreciated! See ya next time!**


	17. The Stuff of Dreams

**Chapter 16: The Stuff of Dreams**

* * *

**Unova, Dreamyard**

* * *

Rocket dashed forward, scalchop aglow, and took another effortful swipe at Gero. And once again, the Bubble Frog backflipped expertly out of harm's way and landed a good two yards away, effectively rendering the attack useless.

Just like the last three.

And it didn't help that Rocket's swipes were getting sloppier and sloppier with each attempt at striking Gero. Will was doing his best to make the most out of Rocket and Gero's mock battle, trying to instill the two new skills he hoped for Rocket to hone. But as it was turning out, _attempting _to do an attack expended more energy on Rocket's part than it would were he actually doing an attack he knew. Every Fury Cutter he tried to produce only exhausted him more and more.

His defensive strategy wasn't working out either. Will was beginning to question whether or not he should even tell Rocket to try every time Gero would come at him with another attack; it always failed, and it only resulted in Rocket getting even more hurt.

_And Burgundy isn't letting me forget that, _Will thought bitterly. He could see Burgundy's smarmy smirk all the way across the field.

"_Allons_, William Grey," Burgundy cooed. She showily tossed her hair over her shoulder; unnecessary for her to do, if only to further tease Will. "Oshawott's paws just aren't meant to grip a shell like that. Any Trainer who would actually be a good match for a Pokémon like Oshawott would know that simple fact. But that's just my evaluation…" She shrugged her shoulders. "But, _hélas_, you chose to ignore that…"

"Now's not the time, Burgundy," Will growled.

"Oh, but isn't it?" Burgundy pointed out, "You asked me for _help_. And as a connaiseusse I'm just doing what I was trained to do…"

"You know, you're really not helping!" Will threw his hands up in the air in frustration. To be quite fair, Burgundy wasn't not doing nothing. She was, in fact, doing a multitude of things at that moment. Complaining was one of them. Getting on Will's nerves, taunting his Pokémon and doubting them both were also on the list.

He did not consider "helping" to be present on said list.

Burgundy's eye twitched. "Tch, fine. If you can't appreciate my expertise, then I'll _teach _you to. Gero, use Quick Attack, _mon ami_!"

"Foak!" Gero took off on all fours like a bullet, covering several feet with each speedy leap.

_It's gonna be that way, huh? Fine then…_ "Rocket, defend!" countered Will.

Will knew at this point that him telling Rocket to attempt his stratagem another time was less of his desire for it to work and more of his desire to prove that it could. Regardless, Rocket performed what was asked of him without a second thought. He grabbed his shell right off of his belly and held it like a shield in front of him to ward off the coming attack.

_What does he have to prove? _Burgundy blatantly wondered. _And to who? If he wants me to 'help' then why can't he just swallow his pride and let me?_

The matter of Will's problems were not at hand. However, Rocket's were. He was one the receiving end of the Froakie's oncoming Quick Attack, and as had become the theme, his flimsy defenses served no purpose other than to relieve him of his scalchop. Gero slammed into Rocket with his shoulder, causing the furry blue rodent to stumble backwards. The force of the attack drove his scalchop right into his gut. Doubling over in pain, Rocket dropped the shell and coughed up a bucket's worth of water onto the ground. Gero retreated by leaping back into the air.

"Bubble attack! Finish this pointless battle!" ordered Burgundy with a haughty wave of her hand.

"Froak!" ribbitted Gero, still in the air from the force of his jump. He leaned his head back and let loose a frothy cloud of bubbles aimed at Rocket.

"Counter with Water Gun!" Will said, trying his best to adjust his voice to compensate for his now diminished bravado. Burgundy had in fact been right. He just didn't want her to know it…

Rocket recovered from the Quick Attack, wiping some watery residue from his lower lip. "Oh- SHA!" Rocket sucked in a deep breath and unleashed a tick torrent of water from his mouth, the likes and intensity of which Will had yet to see from the little guy. His, Burgundy's, Cell's and even Noire's eyes opened wide at the sight of the grand attack originating from such a small combatant.

_Rocket's Torrent ability_…thought Will, thinking back to the first time he had looked at Rocket's skills on his Pokèdex. When weakened in battle, Pokémon with the Torrent ability would gain a major power boost in Water-Type attacks. The same went for those Pokémon who had the Blaze and Overgrow abilities, like Tepig and Snivy, with their respective Types.

The Water Gun attack sawed through the figurative eye of the storm, the area of the Bubble thickest populated by bubbles. A glorious attack indeed, but several key factors failed to come into play. The Water Gun itself failed to even strike Gero, first off. Rocket's own view of him had been all but obscured by the presence of Bubble, and Gero's compact form made it hard to hit at that.

But the key error in the attack was that Water Gun had only countered and eliminated _some _of the bubbles. Not all of them. The bubbles that had drifted along the fringe of the attack flitted down towards their target and popped with considerable force.

"Rocket, look out!" Will shouted. But the roar of his Water Gun was too loud for him to hear over. Several of the Bubbles peppered Rocket in a circle on the ground around him, stinging his feet and causing him to dance back. However , he did not cease attacking with Water Gun.

Which was precisely why things were able to get as interesting as they did.

Stepping back to try and avoid Bubble, Rocket stepped into one of the small puddles he himself had created when struck in the stomach by Quick Attack. Losing his traction completely, Rocket slipped and spun around in a full circle. Spraying Water Gun all the while.

The result: the straight stream quickly spinning around and around with its maker, thus creating a veritable funnel of water streaming straight from Rocket's mouth. Now with a wider arc, the Water Gun funnel eliminated the remaining Bubbles and struck the frog right out of the air.

"_Impossible_! Gero, no!" shrieked Burgundy, her jaw dropping.

Will himself was stunned as well. How could such a simple mistake change the entire course of the battle? And it wasn't even the altercation of the battle itself turning in his favor that instilled him with the growing sensation of awe that was forming in his stomach…it was that they had set out to do something new, and they had.

Whatever this meant for the future.

Both Trainers rushed to their Pokémon as they collapsed. Plum out of energy, Rocket was on the verge of falling right on his back. Will was there before he could, and grabbed the little guy right as he would have fallen. Burgundy fell onto her knees where her dear Froakie landed in a heap, already reaching into her bag for a remedy.

"There, there, _mon ami_," she whispered soothingly, patting Gero's moist head, "You fought as well as you could. Dumb luck just got in our way…" She sighed. "Again…"

"Buddy, I don't know what happened there, but it _did _happen," said Will. Rocket stared up at him, perplexed. Chuckling, Will explained.

"That was, what, try number five?" he asked rhetorically, "We've been trying and failing at this for almost an hour! Trying to nail down the shell defense and Fury Cutter and whatnot. We failed to win with those. But we one with something else. Something you've never done before that proved effective. If that doesn't prove that we can do something brand new, I don't know what does."

"Osha!" Rocket excitedly declared, already cleared of his doldrums. Not that it ever took long to do so with him anyway…

Will grinned. "Good to hear. Now let's get you a Potion…"

As he stood, Will couldn't help but overhear Burgundy's more than self-indulgent scoff. Really thinking about it, he would come to realize that she most likely wanted him to hear in the first place. But only after he brought it up would he come to regret indulging her.

"And what does the peanut gallery have to say this time?"

"Nothing," said Burgundy, giving Will every indication that it was, in fact, something. "I simply cannot believe someone claiming to be a competent Trainer would buy into that pharmaceutical poison…"

Will could only assume that she was referring to the potion that he had just offered to use in order to heal Rocket. "Oh? And you have a better solution?"

"Naturally." Burgundy reached into her pack and removed a plastic baggie containing a homogenous assortment of berries. Seven or so in all, each of the cylindrical berries were colored lime green with a splash of yellow stripes across the base. "Of course, the better solution is to think _naturally_. Berries are far superior to anything synthesized in a lab," she scoffed, unzipping the bag and handing a berry to Gero. The Froakie popped the tiny fruit into his mouth and happily chewed away.

Burgundy then flicked one of the berries to Will, catching him off guard. He jostled it between his hands, nearly dropping it in the dirt, before firmly taking hold of it. Will studied it for a moment as if expecting some sort of trap, prompting Burgundy to roll her eyes.

"Oh, for Arceus' sake, just _feed Oshawott the berry_!"

Seeing no harm in it, Will handed Rocket the berry. Rocket snatched it from his fingers and happily popped it right into his mouth.

"See? Way better than a potion!" bragged Burgundy, folding her arms.

Will was on the verge of conceding defeat yet again to Burgundy when something happened. Rocket, chewing happily on his berry, emitted a shrill squeaking noise. Almost as if he was choking. Eyes shifting quickly to his distressed Pokémon, Will could have sworn he saw the poor guy's eyes swell up to the size of apples. Tears began trickling down his cheeks.

"Rocket!? Are you okay?"

"WOOOOOOT!" Rocket scampered this way and that, clutching at his mouth. Whatever exactly that berry was it was _not _agreeing with Rocket's taste buds.

"Huh," said Burgundy, "Guess he doesn't like bitter berries…"

"You think!?" snapped Will.

Rocket continued to frantically dance about. The sad part was that Will couldn't think of any way to help him relieve his pain. He was his Trainer: these sorts of things most certainly shouldn't have been beyond him to do.

He was relieved, however, when Rocket found a way to alleviate the problem himself. Looking about to burst, Rocket began to fire Water Gun after Water Gun out of his mouth in hopes of cooling it down. They were weak streams lacking the "oomph" that would not function for an actual attack, but seemed to be doing the trick at least for Rocket.

As the burning sensation in his mouth died down to a mere tingle, Rocket fell paws-first on the ground, panting. Had the little guy not been in so much pain, the on-looking Cell and Noire might have actually gotten a kick out of the display.

That didn't stop them from chuckling, however.

On the other hand, Will could feel the burning within him only build up. Burgundy had promised to help him, to aid him and Rocket in training for their next Gym battle, yet all she had done was hurt. Messing with their heads, thrashing Rocket and then essentially _poisoning _him! Will considered that a lot of things, most of them just fancier words for the same thing, yet none of them were helping. And he was about to speak his mind.

But before he could, someone _else _spoke up. A cheery ringing voice that both Will and Burgundy recognized chimed across the Dreamyard's overgrown field. One of them was glad to hear it. The other, not so much.

"Hi, Wiiiiiill~!"

The brunet smirked. "Hey, Bianca. What's up?"

"Oh, nothin'," said Bianca as she jugged up behind Will. Dressed in her normal attire, Bianca looked even cheerier than usual, if that was possible. "I was just in the neighborhood and-oh, hi Bethany! I didn't know you were here!"

"It's Burgundy," growled the connaiseusse, nails digging into her arm.

"Oops! Sorry! Ehehe! I'm just a little excited right now is all."

"Couldn't tell…"

Will cleared his throat, purposely interrupting Burgundy. "So, what's the big news?" he asked Bianca.

"Oh!" Bianca reached into her purse and removed a small sparkling object. Will leaned in closer so he could see it better. It was a small charm made of brass shaped almost like a bowtie with pointed ends. Three embedded gems, one blue, one read and one green, ran the length of it. "The Trio Badge!"

"Y-you beat the Gym!" Will stammered, flabbergasted.

"Yup! I beat Cress on my first try!" said Bianca, oblivious to that fact that she was pretty much rubbing it right in Will's face.

"That's…great. I'm glad for you," said Will. He tried his best to back up what he'd just said and managed a smile.

_Bianca is my friend. No reason to be jealous of her…_

Burgundy shouldered the still stunned Will aside. "And how, pray tell, did you swing that little trinket?"

"I beat Cress," she repeated.

"No, I mean _how _did you beat Cress!?" Burgundy hissed. Deep down, Will felt like there was a witty remark to be made harkening back to their first meeting in the shopping outlet in which Bianca had been the one brought on the verge of a breakdown by Burgundy, but he simply could not find the right words.

"Me and Mr. Wiggles had it in the bag!" Bianca proudly declared, waving her arms to reenact the fight. "I told Mr. Wiggles to use Tackle, but then Cress tried to stop us with Water Gun! But Mr. Wiggles didn't stop. He just charged right through and knocked Panpour right on his behind!" Bianca excitedly punched the air. "Then I had Mr. Wiggles do a Ember attack, and it was extra powerful because of Blaze! My Pokèdex said so. Anyway, that knocked out Panpour and so I got my badge!"

_Amazing how she could just body through that entire Gym battle and still win_, thought Will, amazed, _And yet when I tried, I got stomped…I suppose that's because Mr. Wiggles listens to her…_

"Wait." Will was momentarily confused. "You said you used 'Mr. Wiggles?'"

Bianca nodded. "Yup."

"Who…exactly was that again?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! I decided to give my Pokémon names too, like yours!" She plucked a Pokèball from her bag and waved it in front of Will's face. "I named Tepig Mr. Wiggles. Isn't that a great name?"

"I'm sure he was thrilled to have it…" grumbled Burgundy.

Will smiled and nodded his agreement to Bianca. He was happy for her, no doubt. But deep down, Will couldn't help but feel sorry for himself. A loathsome quality, but one he just could not help. He'd been the last one to reach Striaton City. Now he would be the last one to get his Trio Badge. And there was no guarantee he'd even be able to score it from Cilan next time around. If his training session with Burgundy had been any indication, that was…

_Just…forget about it for now_, he told himself as he strolled away from Bianca and Burgundy, the former of which was chattering gleefully away about the other names she had bestowed upon her other Pokémon. The former of which was starting to reflect on her deep seated regret towards ever meeting the two that day at the mall.

"So solos?" Cell said inquisitively as Will began to shoulder the Procuratron and readjust the straps.

"Break time's over," Will informed him, checking his watch, "We've got about two hours until Fennel needs that Dream Mist, and we've yet to even _see_ a Munna."

Several yards away, Bianca gasped. "Did you say Munna!?" she chirped, appearing before Will in a flash. "I _love _Munna! They're so super cute and cuddly looking! Can I help you look for one? Pretty please!?"

"Well, I suppose," Will said sarcastically. In all honesty, having Bianca along would help more in the long run than it would hurt. Burgundy wasn't looking all that willing to help anyway…she'd probably just end up complaining some more. Having both her and Bianca along might prove for a bit more than Will's ears would be able to handle.

Traveling together with Bianca did not exactly bode well with Burgundy. In fact, the only reason she felt obligated to remain with Will and not leave then and there was due to her vow to help him train. And due to the wounds she had inflicted on his Pokémon, searching for Munna might prove more trying, or even _impossible_ to him. It was her civic duty as a connaiseusse to aid the less tactically inclined, like the imbecilic William and Bianca.

"_Amende_," Burgundy 'conceded', returning Gero to his ball and gathering her things, "I'll come along with you. I just hope we find Munna sooner than later…"

…

Burgundy should have been careful what she wished for.

Leaving behind the small glade and overgrown field in which Will and Burgundy had stopped to train, the trio now consisting of those two and Bianca found themselves standing before the Dreamyard itself, or rather the complex from which the surrounding area had been named. The tending hand of humans had clearly not touched this place in many years, and for probably cause. All that was left of the laboratory was the stone building's ruined husk, walls riddled with cracks and overgrown with vegetation.

Will had already combed the entire outside area for Munna. So if probability meant anything to him (or rather, to Munna) his search so far should be at least some sort of indication that Munna would be found inside. He, Burgundy, Bianca and Cell walked alongside the marred stone wall, looking for a way in.

It didn't make sense to him: the Dreamyard was apparently the most opulent, if not _only_, Munna habitat in Unova. Something about the area made it a perfect to support a thriving community of the otherwise reclusive Pokémon. However, Munna or no, Will was going to find a way to get enough Dream Mist to support Fennel's machine one way or another.

The couldn't have been walking for more than ten minutes before they heard the first scream.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOON!"

All three of the humans nearly jumped out of their skins, collectively startled and unnerved. Even Cell nearly popped from the surprise.

"That sounded like a Munna," said Burgundy, "And it sounded like it came from within the wall…"

"And it didn't sound very happy…" mewed Bianca, saddened by the sound of a Pokémon in pain.

Will nodded, feeling equally nervy. Such a scream could not have meant good things were coming Munna's way. "Agreed," he said, yanking up the straps of the Procuratron, "We need to find a way into the structure, and quick. Munna didn't sound like it had a whole lot of time to spare. Cell, return!" He placed the Solosis back into his Pokèball for better options of mobility.

Bianca and Will took off farther down the wall to uncover the source of the noise and to aid Munna if necessary. By the sounds of things, they probably would need to. But they were hearing it through a wall, after all; that left a lot of room for guessing.

Which Burgundy was doing plenty of herself. Guessing of the _second _variety. She watched, appalled, as Bianca and Will completely jumped the gun and rushed off into the unknown. Doubtlessly to do something violent and stupid. "You're not seriously just rushing off, are you?" she said, raising her voice.

Will skidded to a stop, turning back around. "You have a better plan?" he said, brows furrowed.

"Bound to be better than just running in like a fool!" she shouted.

"It's still better than just standing there!" he countered. Burgundy made a sour face at him and prepared another snappy response, but Will frankly didn't have any more time or patience for it. A Munna might be in trouble and all he was doing for it was debating the logistics of helping it with Burgundy. Turning back around, Will turned Burgundy the cold shoulder and continued to follow Bianca. "Listen Burgundy, I'm tired of repeating this. But if you want to help, help! If not, see you around."

The two of them took off once again without another word on the subject. Sizzling with anger, Burgundy began to question whether or not just _one_ defeat at the hands of Cilan was enough. But quarrels like these were beneath her, she realized, and began to let go. Burgundy recalled her breathing techniques, and after two quick breaths through her nostrils and exhaling through her mouth, Burgundy felt calm once again.

"Fine, we'll do things your way…" she shouted after Will, running after him, "For now…"

…

"C'mon, this way!" said Will, stopping suddenly. Bianca and Burgundy caught up with him a second later and saw what he was beckoning to: a hole in the wall large enough that two people would be able to enter side by side. They had found their way in.

There was no more time for any antics, and so all three proceeded through the hole without another word. Whatever snide remarks Burgundy may or may not have still had, she bit them back. Will was thankful for this; distractions wouldn't be in anyone's best interest soon ahead. Not to mention he was just getting plain tired of her complaints.

The walls were thick, but not extraordinarily so, and it didn't take long at all before the threesome were inside of the structure itself. With the disrepair that outside areas had been in, Will hadn't been expecting anything much out of the Dreamyard laboratory. On that account he wasn't let down.

What remained of a once proud research facility was but a broken husk of what it once had been. In all honesty, Will's first impression was that the owners had left a redecoration effort in the capable hands of a large bomb. Piles of rubble and collapsed sections of wall filled the structure with little untouched space to walk on. Sunlight leaked through large missing chunks of the ceiling.

And in the center of the large unshaded areas was Munna, just as Will had predicted. But it was most certainly not alone.

Surrounding the little pink creature were six figures wearing familiar looking white uniforms. Squinting, Will tried to scrutinize the uniforms from a distance, when all of a sudden a small rock clattered down the pile of rubble behind Will.

"Sorry…" whispered Bianca as she emerged from the hole, giving up on stealth.

All six figures whirled around at the sudden noise, and Will suddenly recognized who they were. The blue, black and white emblems on their chests were unmistakable:

They were Team Plasma.

Surprise etched across their faces, all six Plasmas stared headlong at the trespassers like Deerling in headlights. One of them, a dark skinned female, nudged one of her cohorts, a gaunt young man with orange hair, causing him to wordlessly shuffle to the back of the group. Will was puzzled to say the very least…

Burgundy too was in Will's boat, regarding the robed strangers with acute suspicion. "Who _are _these hoodlums?" she asked, "And more importantly, where did they get such ugly clothes?"

"It's Team Plasma!" Bianca excitedly squealed, clapping her hands together. "They must have come to the rescue of this poor Munna!"

"They're a Pokémon rights group that advocates for the fair treatment-and not to mention release-of all Pokémon," Will said, filling Burgundy in.

Burgundy tapped her chin musingly. "Is that so? A noble enough goal. Though I would suggest at the very least that they invest in more stylish uniforms, lest they scare away the very Pokémon the aim to rescue…"

"Well, I'm pretty sure they're a nonprofit, so…"

A sudden shriek stung the ears of Will and Burgundy as Munna, clearly the source of the outburst, squirmed painfully on the ground. It was at this time Will noted the large swollen gash on its forehead, from which cobalt blood trickled onto the ground. Still encircling the wounded Dream Eater Pokémon, the Plasmas remained completely inactive.

No one knelt down next to the bleeding Pokémon to render medical aid. No one suggested that they treat its wounds. No one even looked in Munna's direction. Twelve eyes remained locked on Will, Burgundy and Bianca as if to hold them in place with their gazes.

A trickle of sweat ran down the face of the dark skinned woman in front. She slowly reached a hand behind her back, ever wordlessly.

_This is fishy…why aren't they helping it? _"So…you here to heal this Munna?" Will warily called over to them. Team Plasma had sold themselves to the people of Accumula Town as peaceful crusaders striving for a better world. While William hadn't found himself snug in the same ship as those who had taken Ghetsis's words literally and released their Pokémon on the spot, he wanted to believe that Team Plasma was a group willing to put their money where their mouths were and strive to forge a better world.

But right now, he just wasn't buying it.

"Oh!" Bianca jogged forward, digging through her bag. "Do you need more medicine for Munna? Because I've got plenty to share~! I've got Potions, Super Potions, Paralyze Heals-"

The lead Plasma's face suddenly contorted as if invisible pressure was compounding upon her with each step closer Bianca took. The other five began to reach behind their backs in a similar fashion, just as slowly and even more suspiciously if anything. Taking small steps apart, the Plasmas moved themselves a small distance away from Munna and from each other.

Giving Will a clear view of the blue blood splattered on the boot of the skinny pale Plasma.

"Bianca, get back!" shouted Will.

Too late. The lead Plasma hurled a Pokèball right at Bianca's feet. Out popped a squat brown reptile covered in black stripes which Will recognized as a Sandile. He had yet to record one's data in his Pokèdex and very much desired to do so, but now was hardly the time nor the place. A scenario including less Plasmas and Biancas in dire straits seemed more appropriate.

The dark skinned Plasma's face contorted in rage, her cover now completely blown. But just as quickly as her paradigm shifted it shifted again, sharply sneering as a renewed fire blazed in her eyes.

"Psh, whatever! This mission was getting boring anyhow. Sandile, Bite the blonde!"

Sandile, pearly fangs bared wide, leapt at Bianca with a vigor Will certainly would not have expected from the Pokémon whose Trainer belonged to a pacifist organization. And come to think of it, why did they have Pokémon at all…

Will could think about it all he wanted later. As Sandile reached an climactic height in the air and began to descend upon its prey, Bianca panicked and began to rifle through her messy purse for a Pokèball to defend herself with. One that she would not have the privilege of finding. Acting critically, snatched one off of his belt and hurled it at Bianca's feet.

"Rocket, Razor Shell, now!"

A flash of hot white light blinded Sandile for a split second, and when its eyes reopened it was surprised, at the very least, to find a bright arc of blue light cutting through it. Searing pain shot through its neck as the Razor Shell made contact just above its shoulder and sent it rolling on the ground several yards away from the action.

"Osha wott!" declared Rocket as his paws hit the ground. Puffing his chest out, the Sea Otter gave the six Plasmas a proud stare as he slapped his scalchop back onto his belly and sticking his fists on his hips as if to say '_Who's next?'_

The lead Plasma winced. "Don't just stand there, you buffons!" she barked to her fellows, "Wipe them out!"

The remaining five snapped-to, each producing a Pokèball of their own and simultaneously unleashing their inhabitants. Blinded by the initial bursting quintet of white light, Will, Burguny and Bianca peered hesitantly open to find that two Patrats, two Purrloin and a Pidove had joined the fight on the side of team Plasma. Squeezing his fists tightly in frustration, Will reached for another Pokèball on his belt realizing that he might have to even the odds himself. Commanding and coordinating one Pokémon against a solo opponent was a trying in and of itself, and so that prospect of having to attend to two against _five_ caused Will's stomach to churn even the slightest bit more tumultuously.

That was his school of thinking. At least, until another Pokèball burst open just to his left. Fearing a precision attack by team Plasma, Will clenched Cell's ball tighter in its hand before he could fully perceive the squat blue frog sitting on the ground next to him.

"_Ciel m'aider _if I let the likes of you have all the fun, William Grey. Delicate battles like this one require a woman's touch," Burgundy said out of the blue, tossing her hair.

_I don't care if this battle requires the "touch" of a seasick Kangaskhan, I'll take all the help I can get, _was what Will thought. And most likely should have said. But what came out of his mouth instead was: "Uh, sure…I mean, if you want to."

Burgundy eyed him. "Are you still hung-up over losing to me in a fashion most _pathétique_? Because if so, perhaps you could use lessons in humility as well as battling, and-"

"Not the time!"

At this point, Bianca had scrambled up off of the ground and dusted herself off, but physically and emotionally. As per usual, she shrugged off the negatives of her current predicament like water off a duck's back and prepared for battle herself. Serendipitously, and in a way also ironically, Bianca's fingertips had just barely brushed the surface of a Pokèball within her purse. Now it was removed from the disaster area that was her purse and ready for battle.

"Mr. Wiggles, I chose you!" she cheered, flicking the ball high in the air. Mr. Wiggles appeared before her, puffing a light plume of steam from his nostrils before pawing at the dirt.

"A Oshawott, a Tepig, _and _a Froakie," mumbled one of the grunts almost hungrily as he stared at the trio of Starters. Will could have sworn he saw the guy lick his lips right after. "Reyna, we could make a _fortune _with these-"

"Shut it, Dave! We're here for one reason and one reason only: kick these scrubs to the curb!" Reyna sneered at her opponents and their Pokémon, the superiority of her numbers giving her a significant and well-founded ego boost. "You kiddies picked the wrong day to stumble into this neck of the woods. My boys and I will-"

Amidst her zealous monologue, another one of the grunts shuffled to the front. "Erm, Reyna?"

"What!?" she hissed over her shoulder, "I'm in the middle of something!"

"You said we're here for one thing, right?"

"Yeah, Alvin, I did! Now what do you-"

"Isn't that 'one thing' getting the Munna?"

"He's got a point!" Will shouted from across the ruined scape, having overheard the whole thing. Reyna whipped around, eyes ablaze with fury to find Will wearing a prankster's smile and shrugging. "I mean, you pretty much just invalidated yourself. I could've sworn before you said-"

"SHUT UP!" Reyna stomped her silvery boots on the ground like a child throwing a temper tantrum. Why did these things always happen to her? None of the grunts ever listened when she was put in charge of a function, which was bad enough, but now some _beanstalk _in a blue jacket was questioning her? Yeah, not happening. "_You _are at _my _mercy!" she spat, cheeks burning red. She thrust her index finger directly at Will's chest. "_You _don't get to ask the questions! _I _do! _You _don't get to walk out of here Scott-free! _I _do, _with _this little pink dough ball _and _your Pokémon! _I_-"

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A sudden green flash struck out of the air and exploded at Reyna's feet, eliciting a rather girlish squeak from her as she leapt back, into the arms of the grunt Alvin no less. The emerald dust slowly faded, revealing scorch mark burned into the already ruined complex.

"And _you _talk too much," deadpanned a voice strikingly familiar to Will. Though the only real thing that made it strike him was the burning sensation he felt emanating from within at the very implication it brought with it as it touched his ears.

Will let out a disgruntled sigh. _Cheren _had come to save the day.

* * *

**Munna missing from the area? Team Plasma causing trouble? More romantic tension between the main pairing of this fic? WHAT COULD THESE SIGNS POSSIBLY MEAN!? Tune in next week for another installation of _Pokemon Black and White: _****_Excelsior_, in which we're formally introduced to a new character, and see the return of an older one, which may spell trouble for our heroes.**

**No spoilers, but all I'll say is that he certainly will not be Will's _knight in shining armor...__  
_**

**Oodles of ORAS news has been dropped in the past (insert time here). New Megas, Pokken Fighers (fingers crossed for Blastoise!) and much more! So much cool stuff, but this week's Reader Question shall focus on the Megas: Out of the new Mega Gallade, Mega Sharpedo and Mega Camerupt, which is your favorite and why? I personally like Mega Camerupt the best, since I really like Ground-Types and just plain like Camerupt's design. Plus I have a shiny Numel, so that might contribute...but let me know your thoughts!**


	18. Dream On! Part 1

**Chapter 17: Dream On! Part 1**

* * *

**Unova, Dreamyard**

* * *

Under no circumstance would Will consider Cheren an enemy, or even antagonistic to him. The exact word he would use to describe his relationship with the raven-haired boy, if there was such a word, was completely lost on him. Some people might, when describing him, say, "And then there's Will's friend, Cheren." Or even possibly, "And then there's Will's rival, Cheren."

All Will himself could think as he stared ruefully up at Cheren was, _"And then there's **this **guy…_"

Said "guy" stood from his kneeling position, brushing some dust off his pant leg. Beside him stood his Snivy, as haughty and superior looking as ever. Evidently enough from the smoldering bowling ball-sized hole left in the ground at the lead Plasma's feet, Cheren had managed to teach him the Energy Ball technique. The two had undergone some serious training between their first/only battle and now.

"Hooray, Cheren's here!" cheered Bianca, "Now we'll win for sure!"

"Indeed." Stepping down from the elevated slab of stone on which he stood, Cheren nonchalantly made his way towards the side of the battle opposing the Plasmas. Snivy followed right at his heels. "Surely we can make short work of this group. Three Trainers already with a Gym Badge and…" He looked quickly to Burgundy. "…you."

Burgundy puffed out her chest as if insulted and began her lengthy introduction. Will internally groaned. "I'll have you know, _monsieur_, that I am none other than Burgundy Cabernet, connaiseusse extraordinaire and-"

"A lot of other things, and we're all very happy for you! But can we _please _get back to the battle? We're in the middle of something." Will tried his hardest to overcome the surprise Cheren's sudden arrival. _I can still mop this up on my own, _he convinced himself, _Now I'll just have less to mop up…_ He couldn't help but nervously glance back at Cheren.

"And about that badge thing…" he mumbled in a much lower voice.

"For once, I think I can say I agree with the string bean" said Reyna through gritted teeth. The rest of her compatriots and their Pokémon livened up for the renewed battle. "But I could really go either way."

Cheren cocked his brow. "And that other way would be?"

"Surrender. Just drop your Pokèballs and leave. Don't worry about liberating your Pokémon; we'll take care of that for you. You're outnumbered anyhow, so quit now while you're ahead and no one has to get hurt."

"It's a bit late for that, isn't it?" snapped Burgundy, "You _brutes _ganged up on that poor Munna, and now look at her!"

"We engaged in a battle," one of the Grunt's responded defensively, "It had its chance."

"Six-to-one odds aren't the kind I'd bet on," remarked Will.

Reyna shrugged, a cocky grin cutting across her face. "Well, here are some six-to-four odds. Feel any better about those?"

Before Will could give his witty come back (which he totally had prepared, thank you very much) Cheren responded in his place. "In this case, you could just simplify and say three-to-two, if you wanted to be mathematically accurate."

_Arceus, I hate this guy **so much**, _Will thought, utterly steamed. And it wouldn't have taken a genius to figure that Reyna shared the exact same sentiment. Having been second guessed for the very last time, she ordered the attack to commence.

"Sandile, Bite that smug prick's Snivy! Make it your chew toy!"

Cheren snapped into action faster than Will thought possible for the contemplative young man. He himself had been prepared to spring back into battle concerned with only Rocket, and so he had failed to notice Bianca and Burgundy standing idly by, both girls caught off guard. Cheren, however, noticed this, and took charge.

"Bianca! Have your Tepig attack the Patrat to the right of Sandile. If you use Flame Charge or Tackle, odds are it won't be able to counter before you hit it. Burgundy, tell your Froakie to use Bubble on the Pidove. Air advantage isn't something we can let them have. Will, mop up and take that Purrloin nearest you. I'll take Sandile and the Purrloin nearest me, and we don't have to worry about that Patrat for now. It's too far out of the fray."

Team Plasma's attacks received their answers. With his initial orders given, Cheren returned to his calm and collected self, ordering his Snivy to first strike the pouncing Sandile in the lower jaw with a Vine Whip, flipping the tiny reptile onto its back. Snivy's attack seamlessly moved then to the Purrloin, as vines danced with claws and gradually beat back the incomer.

Bianca had been more than happy to take her friend's advice. "You heard him, Mr. Wiggles! Flame Charge that Patrat!" She giddily pointed out his target, and Mr. Wiggles took off. Sparks flew up from his hooves as they clicked against the pavement and ignited as the little pug huffed and like a locomotive. Streaking in flame across the field as if he were a comet, Mr. Wiggles plowed straight into the Patrat, heaving the rodent off of its feet.

"Humph!" declared Burgundy, crossing her arms. "I was going to attack Pidove _anyway_. Gero, _mon ami_, carry out Cheren's secondhand idea." Whatever worked for Burgundy's pride worked for the group in the grand scheme of things. Throwing back his head, Gero launched a slew of bubbles at the Plasmas' only avian, trapping the Pidove in a minefield of bulbous bubbles that exploded in a burst of air every time the flailing bird made contact.

Badges or no, the initial counterattacks from the non-Plasmas had proven that their experience as budding Trainers trumped the Plasma's slight advantage in numbers. Working in concert with one another by the wise counsel of Cheren, a hasty victory seemed on the horizon for the foursome. Would it have been so, except for one factor.

Concrete proof that his rivals were one step ahead of him in their journeys had wounded Will's fragile ego, and Cheren's orders had been the nail in the coffin. "Not a ghost of a chance that we're just going to 'mop-up'! Rocket, if Cheren can take two, then so can we!"

"Osha!" concurred Rocket, thrusting his scalchop in the air.

_Thinking on my feet is what I do best, so let's feel this out… _Will licked his drying lips and focused in on the battle with a new intensity.

Will's first target, the Purrloin, (which he himself had decided to fight long before Cheren told him to, thank you very much again) was closing in fast. The feline leapt quickly in a zigzagged pattern, with shoulders set and hind quarters raised in preparation to pounce at any moment; a testament to the species' predatory nature.

Rocket was no ordinary pray however, especially with a Trainer at his helm. "Rocket, next time it leaps left, give it a Water Gun! Got it?"

"Osha!" As Will had given the order, Purrloin had just landed a leftward bound. Rocket watched with laser focus as Purrloin bounded again to the right. Rushing water frothed at his lips as he primed his coming strike.

Will held his breath as Purrloin leapt left, preparing for Rocket's attack. He tensed up as it leapt once again, and just when its paws touched the ground…

Nothing happened. Ready as he was, Rocket continued to stand sentinel in preparation for his attack. Whenever he believe that time to be, that is.

Surely enough, the Purrloin's next right bound was the move which Rocket had been anticipating. The gusher of water surged from Rocket's mouth as Purrloin landed again, but his aim had been just off kilter. Purrloin suffered nothing more than a dampened right foreleg when the Water Gun crashed into the ground about half a foot from it.

Rocket's Trainer groaned, clutching at his head. "No, Rocket! Not _his _left, yours!"

"Ehehe, Osha!" Rocket sheepishly laughed in reply, apologetically glancing at Will. This elicited another cry of internal agony from the young man.

"NONONO, TURN AROU-"

Purrloin's claws raked across Rocket's cheek, forcibly pivoting the unassuming Oshawott in a full circle. For a split second after it landed, Purrloin locked eyes with Rocket and gave him a gloating glare more potent than any Leer attack she could have used instead. Flustered, Rocket did what he did best and blindly slashed at her with a Razor Shell attack. Even if he was on balance (which he was not) the attack still would have missed Purrloin by several inches. Purrloin leapt loftily out of the way regardless.

The end of one attack meant the beginning of another. Patrat, which Will had been so eager to engage several minutes ago, charged into the fray as Purrloin backed away temporarily. The indignation pumping through Will's chest after the last blunders was more than enough to prompt an immediate response.

"Rocket, turned around and hit that Patrat with a Water Gun!" he barked. "He's coming straight at you, so just nail him in the chest. Got it?"

Uneasy, Rocket only nodded. The Oshawott faced his opponent, felt the water well up within him, and attacked. No fanfare this time. Just as his Trainer had intended it to, the Water Gun struck the stout rodent dead in the chest and sent him stumbling back.

Will sighed. The battle was really beginning to take a toll on him and Rocket. His Pokémon's usual bravado was beginning to fade as the damage added up, and Will's own confidence was on its last legs. Out the corner of his eye he saw Cheren, calm as ever, nimbly guiding his Snivy through the attacks of the other Purrloin and Sandile.

_How does he do it…_

Claws scraping against pavement brought Will's full attention back to his own fight; Purrloin was tapping in as Patrat recovered. This time around though, there were no rhythmic leaps. Seeing that Rocket was weakened by their first exchange, the Plasma had ordered Purrloin to make a beeline for Rocket and go straight for the kill.

"Block with Razor Shell!" cried Will, figuring Purrloin would more than likely attack with claws. A split second later, he was proven right. Purrloin leapt at alarming speeds at Rocket, claws outstretched. Rocket just barely parried the first strike of the Fury Swipes attack, was sent spinning after the second, and was knocked right on his belly after the third.

_What have I gotten myself into? _wondered Will as Patrat re-entered the fray, now facing Rocket with two opponents.

* * *

**Dreamyard, Study**

* * *

Not far from the action but secluded enough to go about their business in peace, another group of Plasma grunts rooted through the cluttered husk of the once proud Dreamyard facility. They had been searching for hours in the hot sun of what had once been a glass-domed study, but thankfully as the hours passed the shadows of the shattered ceiling and walls covered up their area for the most part.

Whatever destructive force laid waste to the dome had apparently originated from the inside, for the remaining glass atop the concrete walls curled outwards after being heated to the extreme. Since then, Mother Nature and Father Time had patiently whittled away at the concrete walls until what remained of the room looked like a jagged hand reaching out from the earth.

Team Plasma scurried about the leafy palm of that hand, searching for whatever it was they had been sent out to find. In truth, the end goal of their group's mission was open to interpretation. A vocal majority had objected at first before the silent thinkers of the group brought a crucial fact to their attention: if they had no clear goal, their commander would have less to expect from them, and they wouldn't be driven as hard.

Resistance decreased considerably after that. Without the presence of their commander, nor the unseen pressure of his expectations, the grunts had taken that day's assignment as a day off in disguise. Multiple lunch breaks were taken, and for hours at a time and "searching" consisted of sitting and gossiping or playing cards.

Two grunts, now on Break # 4, had found themselves a comfortable spot to kick back in a pair of old chairs previously hidden by vines and sheetrock. The upholstery of the faded maroon chairs was horribly damaged by water, foliage growth and Pokémon burrowing, but it certainly beat the cold ground.

One of the grunts, a black haired twenty-something with a wispy mustache and dull grey eyes reclined in the chair as if her were King of Team Plasma, as he regaled the other with exaggerated tales of his exploits.

"Really? You did that?" she inquired, eyes aflutter.

He smirked. "I swear on my mother's good name, I do. Saw that Gym Leader beating his Pokémon slave in the middle of town, like it was…like, you know, _property_! So I marched straight up to him, I did, and I gave him what for!"

"How'd you beat him?"

He spat over the arm of the chair. "Strength, skill and perseverance. You got those things, you can do anything."

"I'll bet he was positively _shamed_ after that."

"Oh yeah. Never showed his face again."

"Which Gym Leader?"

The male grunt sat up quickly, feeling his throat tighten. The other grunt was still staring at him as adoringly as ever. He tried to recover. "I, erm…well, you see, it's one of them Hoennese Gym Leaders. Yeah, from _way_ out there in Hoenn."

"What was his name?" she chirped.

"Y-you wouldn't know him," he stammered quickly, hoping to cover his tracks for good and be done with it.

"My sister lives in Hoenn with her family. I know most of the Gym Leaders by name. Which one was it?" His Zangoose was cooked at this point, he could just feel it. The cold shadow of defeat slithered over him, prompting a shiver.

"It was…the one you don't know, probably," he said, defeated.

She narrowed her eyes. "Call me crazy, but I feel like I'm being deceived…"

_"I'm familiar with the sensation_._"_

Both grunts jerked upright at the echoic sound of the deep bass voice. Another shiver wracked the male grunt's body as he realized that the 'cold shadow of defeat' had been a real shadow, cast by the massive figure towering above him clad entirely in polished steel.

As big as it was, his shadow wasn't large enough to cover the entire room, but it may as well have been for as he spoke, all twenty grunts froze in a manner similar to the first two.

The grunts in the chairs squinted, trying desperately not to look away from the knight's helmeted face. The sun was behind it from their point of view, wrapping the sides of his helm in sunlight and casting a shadow over the faceplate. They figured blowing off their mission had landed them in enough trouble. Shirking away from the White Knight's gaze because of a little sun in their eyes wouldn't make it any easier.

He remained still for a moment, a silver statue glaring down at two grunts reduced to mere Rattata by his gaze. Or rather, the implication of his gaze. His eyes lay underneath the great plumed helmet, which itself was covered in shadow. One could only guess what that face and those eyes looked like.

White Knight gave the two grunts his attention for a moment more without so much as a twitch before, abruptly, his head swiveled around with a slight creek of metal and he proceeded in the direction of his gaze; towards the other grunts.

"To my understanding, I've gained a notable reputation among my fellow Knights of the Order," he began, addressing the Plasmas like an orator. "I take no particular solace in this fact; only acknowledge the factuality of what I have discerned. To many sworn brothers and sisters of our organization, I am with near unanimity regarded as the least severe out of myself and my counterpart. Forgiving, some say. Some even go as far to call me _righteous_."

Laying his right arm flat against his chest, White Knight executed a curt bow. The grunts instinctively knew it was not directed towards them. He straightened his back, folded his arms behind it, and continued to pace. "All I do, I do for His Grace, our beloved King. How I carry out my duties is entirely immaterial. Irrelevant. There is one and _only _one thing you must know about my duties: I love my King.

"It happens, however, that I do believe in holding one's underlings to such a regard where they appreciate or even relish your command. For this is how I am ruled by my good King, and who can claim to know better than he?" White Knight's pacing came to a sudden stop, once again freezing like a solid steel statue. "Know this: my counterpart does not share my sentiments. You know this. A stark contrast exists between the number of casualties suffered by her underlings and that of mine. You've seen the brothers and sisters who return from these missions; many are changed after a mission with the Black Knight. She acknowledges success, while I reward it. She punishes failure…while I ignore it. And I will tell you why. If you are not rising in the ranks, you are stagnating in the ranks. He who is not making himself known is making himself useless, and there is no room for waste in Team Plasma. Should you cease to make apparent your value, value will be assigned to you. Value as a _tool_. An expendable thing to be used at the discretion of those like Black Knight, who will shed nary a tear should you be sacrificed in the name of the cause.

"And so I shall be succinct. While you lot were busy wasting the day playing with leaves on the ground, Squad B has been scouring the Dreamyards for their target. Research and notes on the Dream Mist are now irrelevant. Once in captivity, our scientists will have ample opportunity to conduct their own studies on Munna. I offer you a chance to redeem yourselves."

All flinched and several stifled gasps as the White Knight pulled his blade from its scabbard at his hip. The massive gleaming broadsword was of such a size that most of the grunts, growning young adults, would need two hands to grip it. White Knight was able to hold it comfortably in one, though the pommel stretched so that he could use a two-handed grip should he desire to put more force behind his blows.

"Go to where Squad B currently does battle with four interlopers," bellowed White Knight, sword pointed to the west of the Dreamyard. "Join the fray, win the King his prize, and your indolence will be forgiven." Half of the grunts were already on their feet by now, and would have been off and running were they not afraid of interrupting White Knight. "Depending the valor you show in the coming battle, you may even be rewarded."

They were gone before the White Knight could finish sheathing his sword. He dwelt for a second on the disdain he held for their sullying of his King's sacred mission. Then, exhaling so quietly that it was barely audible to even him, he let it go. The force he had departed with from Headquarters was, like many of the sworn brothers and sisters of the area, green recruits, young Trainers that had been turned by sermons. Had his true host accompanied him, every pebble in the Dreamyard would have been scoured until his prize had been uncovered, and hastily would that have been done. The White Pawns were renowned for their efficiency, second of their like only to his counterpart's personal host, the Black Rooks.

White Knight raised his armored right hand and examined the underside, where he flipped a panel. He examined the simple screen, which contained only a red meter at about half its possible length rimmed by information written in a long dead language.

Taking one final deep breath, he flipped the panel shut and took a sweeping look at the forest surrounding the dead Dreamyard. "_The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep-._" With minor haste, he proceeded towards the sounds of battle west of where he stood. A Knight such as himself entering the fray would be overkill against what he'd scouted, but would serve as a valuable show of force.

_"-And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep."_

* * *

**What? You're saying I've been gone for almost two years? I promise you I don't know what you're talking about...**

**All seriousness, I apologize for the huge lapse in updates, but that's just how life is for me at this point. I love writing this story, but if it comes down to it and I have to step away from writing this for a while, that's just the way it is. That being said, I have a right mind to finish what I started, and it turns out I haven't been completely idle during this absence: I mapped out the entire story from start to finish, so I've got some direction.**

**But I'm back! Excitement! And I missed this, honestly. Ideally, the next chapter will be released soon, but I don't know for sure when. Thank you all for reading and supporting. Especially after such a long absence, criticism of any kind is appreciated. Thanks!**


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